Divisions of Time
by GenesisArclite
Summary: "I must complete my Focus." Lightning is given the risky chance to reset the timeline by preventing Caius from receiving the Heart of Chaos, but only by traveling to Gran Pulse's ancient past and befriending him. Meanwhile, Serah and Noel struggle through the strange future left in the wake of her changes in the distant past... [third genre: mystery]
1. The Brink of Despair

**The Brink of Despair**

* * *

There was a cold breeze blowing in from the ocean, carrying with it the scent of saltwater and the kiss of humidity heavy in the air. The breakers rolled harder and dashed themselves faster on the beach this evening, as if even the lifeless land understood the depth of what was occurring this moment. Beneath a clouded sky tinged pink with alien light, the broken crystals littering the beach twinkled faintly, wetly, in the shadow as it passed fast over the sand with graceful sweeping motions, almost quicker than the eye could catch. The waters glowed a faint, ethereal blue, thick with the bioluminescence of long-vanished alien life.

In the center of the pink-hued skyscrapers amongst the only bright color amid the ruined landscape, the clock read half-past.

And once more, the sweep of brilliant green encircling the spire shattered into thousands of tiny shards.

The rose-haired woman clung to the spine of the winged beast carrying her through the air in her chase, trying to see past the glare of the realm's alien sun glowing behind the ever-present clouds. A shadow broke the glare – there he was, flying with enviable grace and poise over the landscape, leading her on as he had done all evening.

In the singularity she had found herself trapped in, there was no past, no present, no future, all things compressed to a single point of existence.

She urged her mount onward, and the beast's wings beat more furiously as he struggled to keep up with the leader. It was a near-hopeless endeavor – her antagonist had been here longer and could see further than she, knew every inch of the land better than she could hope to in a hundred years. The only thing that cooled her blood was the brush of the breeze across her skin and the weight of hope she still carried within her. Somewhere on the crooked timeline of Valhalla, her sister and her companion were fighting the final battle, while she was here, in the same place at a different time, chasing the man she had pursued for centuries.

In her heart, she bore hope, and also despair. She would not give in to it, of course, for she was the champion of this realm, one of the last hopes for the corrupted world she had come from, but in her heart, she knew the truth, and she knew how this would end.

Her mount blasted her charge with a flare of energy; he gave an animalistic screech of pain before plummeting out of the sky. Springing from her perch, Lightning followed, headfirst, watching the ground come up fast. The dark-winged creature of chaos burst into shadows, then from the darkness came Caius, human again, and he hit the ground first, leaping aside as she landed seconds behind him.

The impact rattled her from head to toe: her armor rang with it, forcing her to grit her teeth from the pain. Calling her sword to her hand, she brought it up just in time before he pounced on her, knocking her back with a single blow from his enormous broadsword. She came up on her feet to be met by him again. Where he had begun many of their fights, and interrupted some of their clashes, with taunting words, this time he came at her in silence, and it was more frightening that anything he could have said.

_Somewhere, her sister and her companion fought the final battle_.

She, too, fought, for everything she had ever known.

As her body fell into the familiar rhythm of battle, she pulled her mind away to see her surroundings. They had landed in an unfamiliar plaza surrounded by ornate, carved columns five times her height. Beneath her feet, the stones were inlaid with gems and colorful tiles, though both were well-weathered by now. To her right, the plaza halted at a balcony, beyond which the sea burst at the foot of the cliff. To her left, the temple, highest point in the land, towered into the sky.

When she refocused on what she was doing, she realized with a start that his expression was not one of sadistic glee or harsh determination or any other expression she could remember. Instead, it seemed almost neutral, except for the faintest trace of a smirk on his lips. The longer she stared at it, the more concerned she became, and finally caught his blade on hers, stopping him in his tracks. They slid a moment on the broken stone underfoot, kicking up puffs of dust in the still air – which should, by all means, be _moving_, what with the cold breeze still fluttering her hair across her eyes.

Blinking through her bangs at him, she panted under the strain. He was strong – stronger in this moment than he had ever been, in any of their previous battles. She had always known he had been holding back, but to be faced with the reality made her feel very cold.

"Dare I say you look _concerned_, my dear?" He spoke, calmly, gazing into her eyes as he did, smirking wider.

She felt her arms trembling, struggling under his raw power.

He pressed down a little harder, and her arms began to visibly shake. A second later, he reversed his tactic, too fast for her to see, and brought both of their swords up, forcing hers aside. Landing a vicious kick to her midsection, he sent her flying back into a pillar.

So many times he had tossed her in their previous battles. He had thrown her across the city, dumped her onto the beach, tried to drown her in the sea, but each time her armor had cushioned her fall. This time, though, was different than all those other times. This time, when he threw her, she went faster, and her armor, while taking the brunt of the impact, couldn't handle it all. The pillar cracked; she slumped to the ground with a groan.

He approached with slow, careful footsteps.

Dragging her arms beneath her, she pushed herself up, swaying on her feet. Her hand found the grip of her sword once more, which she brought up, angled in front of her, to face him. Assuming a battle stance, she braced herself in expectance of his attack. Her body ached, head spinning; she felt her heart pounding her chest. Still the cold breeze blew over her, and still the dust hung, suspended and immovable, in midair.

He halted his approach. "You have managed to last far longer than I expected, warrior. I _am_ impressed."

His voice was chillingly emotionless, save for the inflection on the word _am_. Swallowing her doubt, she tasted fear like bile on her tongue. Something was wrong. Something was _horribly_ wrong. If Serah and Noel had succeeded in their fight, _why_ was she still here?

"Save your praise."

"All timelines lead to me." He spoke calmly, emotionlessly, a drastic contrast to the fire in his eyes. Something was dreadfully wrong. "No matter how many paradoxes are solved, no matter how hard your friends may try, the world is corrupt, and the darkness has shrouded spacetime." He extended his left hand, palm up; she stared at him, trying to understand. "All timelines from your day of miracles _lead to me_."

And Lightning understood.

He was behind her, blasting her off her feet, sending her facedown into the plaza, where she skidded to a halt, face raw, before she could register the horror. The stone wrecked her elbow; her knees became sore.

"You sent her on a suicide mission."

From where she lay, Lightning picked her head up, squinting into the light. Caius stood halfway between her and the pillar she had landed against previously. It seemed inhumanly impossible for him to have moved that fast, close the gap as quickly as he had.

"You sentenced her to die."

Horror flooded her as the worst possibility formed in her mind. A second later, he lifted her clean off the pavement with one hand, suspending her in midair at his eye level for a few seconds, putting a great deal of strain on her neck as she hung helpless.

"Yes, Lightning. Your sister has _perished_."

And he pitched her into the ground, slamming his elbow into her midsection when she landed. She recoiled in pain, clawing at the ground, trying to stand up. Fear and anguish filled her; she swung her legs beneath her and hoisted herself to her feet.

"I don't believe you. She's alive. She and Noel fixed the timeline. There's nothing–"

"_Fixed_?" The volume of his voice didn't change, but the tone did, drastically, dipping into some shadowy corner of his primal self. Terror shot through her heart. And anguish. And something worse. "They played into my hands and closed the loop. It cannot be broken. Time is already in ruin."

Something flooded her, pushing aside the fear, the pain, the anguish, and she let loose a shout that curdled her blood, launching herself at him. The instant of surprise was all she needed: her sword flashed out, missing him by barely an inch, reversed, turned over, and slashed across his chest, tearing a nice gash in his armor. Using leftover momentum from the initial swing, she kicked him away from her, where he landed on his shoulder.

"You want to shut me up? Really want to win? _Kill me first_!"

And she sprinted toward him, sword grasped in both hands, to finish the job. Instead of pain or fear or doubt, she felt only hatred.

The final titanic clash of time and space began, and Lightning realized she was no longer fighting to slow him down so her sister could fix the timeline – she was fighting for her own life now, for the memories of the dead, in the hope that her actions could somehow prevent the apocalypse. Her hatred made her powerful, blinding her with mad fury, pushing him back until they found themselves tumbling over the edge of the plaza. He transformed into the winged beast of nightmares halfway down; she landed on his back and drove her sword in.

Flying high and fast, he carried her into the temple, dumping them both on the stone from midair. Before he had a chance to recover, she punched the blade clean through his chest, below the Heart of Chaos, instead piercing his true heart, pinning him to the stone.

It was only when she saw the look of intense pain in his eyes and felt him tense against her that she realized what she had done.

He slumped back, lifeless, and she stared at him in shock.

The wind blew cold against the back of her neck while the pinkish light faded behind her. Dead ahead, the crystal throne sparkled in silence. To either side, sheets billowed in the wind; dust moved like it was supposed to. Shadows of climbing vines danced on the curtains.

Slowly, hesitantly, she withdrew her blade, staring at the smear of red on it in dull shock. No more blood came from the wound she had just made: he was dead, truly dead, not just momentarily buried like when she had fought him the first time and thrown him under a pile of debris, but _truly_ dead. She carefully wiped the blood off, then settled back on her heels, staring down at him.

He didn't move. The pulse normally visible along his neck was still, chest no longer moving, eyes slightly open but glossed over and cold.

Lightning had seen plenty of dead folks in her life, but somehow, this was unnerving.

As she hung her head to stare at her hands, stroking the blade, she heard a sudden sound that made her jump with how loud and unexpected it was. Before her, Caius's lifeless body stirred, chest heaving, pulse suddenly twitching erratically along his throat. A second longer, and she would have recovered, but it was too late: he was suddenly before her, seizing her throat, then throwing her to the ground and pinning her there. His sword came off his back to hover at her throat.

"No matter how many times I suffer that fate, I _cannot_ get used to it!" The look in his eyes was one of raw emotion, so deep and powerful that it struck her to the bone. Gawking at him, she didn't struggle, too much in shock. She had seen plenty of dead folks, sure, but not one had ever come back to life in front of her.

"I…" She didn't know what to say.

"Did you _honestly_ believe you could kill me that way? I wish it were so!" His voice was rough, cutting into her like a knife. "I can't die. No matter _what_, I _cannot die_!"

Her hands gripped his forearm, trying to pry his hand off her throat. Slowly, she felt his grip loosening, though she wondered whether it was her, or him.

"You must pierce the Heart, or I can _never_ die!" he snapped at her, eyes still fixed on hers. This time, however, his eyebrows overshadowed his eyes, making it seem as though he had none at all. Pushing a little harder, she gave up and kneed him in a most uncomfortable area, then tossed him off of her.

"Then stop moving so I can!"

As she swung, intending to cut him in half – how easily would he breathe again, she wondered, if he were to be decapitated, or worse – he vanished in a swirl of chaos, startling her into halting. Blinking in confusion, she looked around as the chaos dissipated. She was alone, nothing but clouds and darkness visible beyond the windows, nothing but the sound of her own labored breathing to break the silence.

Lightning stood there for a long time. Why had Caius led her here, anyway? Of all the lonely places in Valhalla, he had taken her here, to the crystal throne.

Why would he do that?

There was the sound of something whisking across the stone, like sandpaper, or dust blown by a harsh wind. She turned her head, this way and that, searching for the source. Then, like someone flipping a switch, the wind died. It simply died, completely, totally.

In front of the crystal throne, a shadow appeared in midair, gained form, and coalesced.

Lightning gasped. "Serah!"

There were two people standing before her, facing each other. On the left was Noel, disbelief on his face, while her sister stood on the right, staring blankly into space. Slowly, she gained an expression, one that tore at the observer's heart, and began to topple backward, eyes glazing over. Noel reached out, seized her wrist, and pulled her against him, but Serah did not respond, limp as a ragdoll in his arms.

Lightning felt her body grow numb.

She heard the young man's voice, raw with hurt and emotions she would not dare try to name, calling Serah's name as he sank to his knees with her still clasped against him. A few moments later, the image faded, shooting off as black shadows into the depths of the throne room, and Lightning still stood numb with horror.

"She is the same as Yeul. Her travels executed her."

Caius now stood, back against hers. When he had arrived, she didn't know, nor did she much care. In her hands, her sword began to tremble.

"And she will be a prisoner until time meets its end."

The woman glanced over her shoulder, having to tilt her head up to compensate for his height. Half a second later she was being shoved forward, stumbling toward the throne, stopping herself at the edge of the abyss glowering below her. Hopping back, she faced him.

"Let her go," she snarled.

His right hand clasped the grip of his sword, but did not lift it off his back. "Let her go? You misunderstand."

"Fine." She forced herself to stop trembling. "Then stop moving so I can kill you properly."

"You_ can't_!" Running up to her, he swung his sword out in a neat arc, tearing her off her feet. The blade struck her knees; with a _crack_, one of them popped out of alignment, sending white fire all up and down her leg. Falling, she hit the ground hard, sore, aching, in too much pain, her hatred slowly subsiding.

_It was over long before this began_.

His presence hovered over her, tall, dark, and silent, staring down at her with the sudden bout of anger and anguish fading from him. Lightning shivered, the pain in her knee making her nerves fire awkwardly. That whole leg would not respond to her biddings.

Finally, she found her voice, and said, "All this for one person."

"You would do the same."

A flame of hatred burned in her heart. "No." She forced the hatred away – no matter how awful things had become, it never justified complete hatred. "I would _never_ do such a thing."

"For your sister."

"_No_."

He crouched beside her, but she couldn't turn her head to look at him. Sprawled on her back, her neck was just too sore. "Snow would have."

"That's Snow. I have _integrity_. The tempta–" Her mind wouldn't work right, the nerves firing all wrong, unable to form images properly in her head. What was she trying to say? The despair, anguish, pain… it was all too much for her this time. "Never. Not for _anyone_."

His broadsword came within six inches of her face, and he said, quietly, bitterly, "Until that opportunity comes, you can never know for sure."

She stared back at him. It had been a long time since she'd cried. Between this pain, watching him wake up from being killed, _honestly_ killed, hearing _his_ pain, knowing her sister was dead, knowing the world was about to end…

It was worth a few tears.

"You will not die." He replaced the sword on his back. "You will be cursed to an eternal slumber, to watch as your nightmare comes into being before you. It will be your curse to watch the world you swore to protect die, as you are helpless to stop it."

The double meaning of his words hit home in a way none of his eloquent speeches across the ages ever had.

His retreating footsteps brought her back from the brink, just for a moment.

"If there is a Hell, Caius Ballad," she said, "may you burn in it for eternity."

There was a second of silence. "When my day of death comes at last, I will welcome it." A moment later, the beat of large, armored wings broke the silence, leaving her, Lightning, champion of this ghostly metropolis, sprawled out on her back, alone.

* * *

A thousand years seemed to pass before Lightning sat up.

The silence hung around her like a veil. Caius was gone, disappeared to some other place in the realm no doubt, and with him had gone all her strength, determination, everything that had kept her going. Her sister's life. All hope for the world, for the future. Like cobwebs on the wind they drifted away, taunting her with their ghostly gleam, and vanished into the darkness. She was alone, on a vast plain beneath a black sky, with darkness all around, standing in the only point of light left.

Pulling her knees closer, she patted her crippled leg, bowing her head. Her sister was gone. Not only that, but she had been forced to watch it happen. One of the few people she truly loved in the whole world had just been taken away again, and this time she wasn't simply going to wake up like before. This time, not even Snow could have saved her. The heart-wrenching cry of sorrow she'd heard from Noel as he had cradled Serah's body was enough to prove that fact.

Utterly alone, and not by choice, Lightning cried. It had been a long time since she'd cried like this, buried her face in her hands and let herself go. So long had she kept her emotions tied up inside her, believing them to be a sign of weakness if they got out. This was worth crying for. _These_ tears mattered.

When she was spent, she somehow dried her face and hoisted herself to her feet. Both her sword and shield winked out of existence. She stared up at the throne.

There was one way to survive the twilight. Long ago, when she had learned of his plans, she had kept it tucked away, a last resort.

"Etro," she murmured, speaking to more or less empty air, "I failed." Bowing her head, she blinked away more tears. "And now _all_ must face the consequences."

Crystal stasis was the last resort she now would succumb to. Crystals could survive falls from great heights, could survive being scratched at and scarred. The inherent durability of some Cie'th, like the Undying, was a simple but meaningful testament to that. If she sat on that throne, on the crux of Valhalla's strange physics and laws of reality, then she could survive. She could hold on. She could bear what hope was left, though it flickered like a dying flame deep within her.

"I will continue to fight, in what way I can," she said. "I will sleep, until the end of time."

Caius must have known. He must have known the only way she could hope to survive the end of the world was to relinquish her life to stasis. In it she could gain some much-needed rest. The only issue was going to be getting up there, for she could not merely teleport like Caius.

She took a step forward, stopping only when a fluffy white feather drifted from the ceiling. Hesitating, she gazed at it, recognizing it.

The overseer of this realm touched her mind.

"I don't have time for this," she said, feeling bitter. "I must get to–"

Etro cut her off, dropping the feather right on the stone to her left. Lighting gazed at it, blinking in confusion when a pinpoint of light flared up from the quill. It was small, almost invisible to the naked eye, but even here it seemed to shed waves of warmth. Energy. Like electricity.

"I don't understand."

Whenever Etro spoke to her, or any other being like her, there was a massive language barrier, as they existed on separate realms in completely different forms. The most these creatures could do was give Lightning images and sensations for her to interpret, along with affirmatives or negatives in the form of warmth or cold respectively. In some cases the sensations were easily read and the images simple to understand; at other times, they were far more complicated, depending on how vast a concept they were trying to communicate.

When Lightning had first arrived here, the images in her head had been of the battle she was soon to partake in, along with sensations of weariness and hope. Only when she had understood fully had her Guardian Corps uniform been replaced by her suit of Valkyrian armor.

Understood, and accepted.

The images this time were unrecognizable, of faces and locations she had never seen. Lightning grew irritated: time was short, and this was not the time to fuss about anything, least of all ancient memories.

The longer she stood here, the worse she felt.

"I can't linger," she said, weary now. "Time is short. I _must_ sleep now, or there will be noth–"

The sudden barrage of images and sensations about knocked her off her feet.

She saw the vast plains of the Archylte Steppe, rolling for miles into the distance, beneath a cloudless blue sky and a warm, cheerful sun. She saw the ebony spire of Taejin's Tower piercing the blue on the horizon. She saw people, faces she'd never known, flashes of a familiar village, flickers of a vaguely familiar city, greenery and fast-flowing waters and bright flowers, hunters with spears, knights on chocobos, heard war cries, smelled blood and fire and hot metal, felt the wind blowing her hair back from her face. Over it all, tearing through the confusion with a roar of power, came the unmistakable figure of Bahamut, the sky-king, slashing a line of destruction straight through an army, tucking his wings and rolling tight, flying into the sky. He punched through, driving the army back, cried out in pain, and plummeted to the ground. When he landed, in his place there appeared a prone, lifeless human body, looking very small compared to the beast it had been.

_Caius Ballad lay there_.

Then the images stopped, and Lightning toppled back, landing hard on her rear on the stone, realizing with a start that she was panting. Blinking, over and over, furiously, she tried to clear her head. The images and sensations had been overwhelming; still she tried to sort them out.

"Caius… Bahamut…?" She stuttered and murmured, trying to work out what had just happened, trying to understand. That was Caius she had just seen, _Caius_, soaring as Bahamut himself, then lying dead on the plains as an army turned tail and fled. Many times had she seen Caius transform himself into the winged sky-king, but she had the funny feeling that this wasn't a normal instance. The fact that he'd been lying _dead_, facedown in the grass, afterward, cemented that.

A soothing sensation came to her before the images came again, slower and gentler this time. Lightning had no time to recover from the first bout, but this time she didn't need to: the images were coherent now, lasting longer apiece, making far more sense.

Caius reappeared, in his familiar black-and-purple-hued armored bodysuit, kneeling before a woman resembling Yeul herself. He seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't make out the words. Again she saw him flying over the plains, again saw him hit the ground as a dead man, but this time the images continued to show a familiar glow within his body, and a few minutes later he was awake again, looking very surprised. She saw an image of postwar Cocoon as it crystallized, saw herself being torn from the timeline, saw the death and destruction leading up to this very point–

Lightning made the connection abnormally fast, possibly helped along by her unseen companion. Blinking away the images, she stood.

"Caius is as much a part of this as you reaching into our world."

The affirmative came as warmth all over.

Lightning continued linking the hints together, gaining a more complete understanding. Previously, she had not been interested in the _why_ of the paradoxes, only in how to stop it from spreading further. She didn't consider herself to be particularly clever or scientifically savvy, especially since the implications of this new information belonged to a sect of science laughed at by observationists. Had she witnessed the proof of this theoretical science, so new that it still wasn't taken seriously, generally known as "quantum mechanics"?

If that was the case, two events, inherently linked, were responsible for this corrupted timeline: Caius receiving the Heart of Chaos, and Etro infecting the world with chaotic energy.

Each gave birth to the other.

And suddenly Lightning had a headache.

Did she dare try to wrap her head around the implications? It was a complex idea indeed – parallel universes, stable time loops, infections of chaos, corrupted timelines–

The image of a window pane, a very normal-looking glass window pane not unlike the floor-to-ceiling ones along the Narthex in Eden, popped into her head. It was raining torrentially outside. A stone flew toward it; it left a split in the glass. Another stone, a bit larger than the last, came, widening the split and adding cobweb-like cracks. Finally, a third stone came and hit the impact site of the first two stones. With that, the pane shattered, and rain drenched the room.

It was a _lot_ easier to understand that way.

"I get it," she said, folding her arms. If nothing else, working out this puzzle based solely on images and sensations kept her mind off other, more… unpleasant topics. "So what does Caius have to do with this?"

A succession of images came to her head.

Lightning reaching out toward a glowing portal vaguely resembling some of the cracks in the Historia Crux; her, standing amid swarms of people in primitive clothes carrying advanced weapons of steel and iron; her, running along the bank of a river toward the same army she'd seen before. At her side, brandishing a spear with a cruel blade resembling the Ragnarok sword, was Caius. As she watched the images unfold, she wondered why she was there, in a time and place she'd never been.

The answer came like a javelin straight through her brain. "No."

Another image came. This time, it appeared to be from her perspective, looking up over the familiar dropoff near the Western Benchland toward the horizon. Hanging in the sky was a large brown orb, as unobtrusive as a cloud, but too big and too close to be a moon. She realized with a start that it was Cocoon, not yet scarred from the War, snoozing peacefully, housing its millions of inhabitants who had no knowledge of the world below.

"No, I _must_ stay here." If she left to do as she thought she was being asked to do, she put the whole world and the whole timeline at risk. "It isn't–"

The image of those she had traveled with appeared now: she, Snow, Sazh, and Hope, standing and looking up at the crystallized Cocoon. Serah ran toward them alongside Dajh.

Lightning blinked away the burn in her eyes. "But if I… if I do this…"

A soothing sensation settled over her like a blanket.

She lowered herself to her knees, mostly to take the weight off her leg, which had begun to grow sore. Patting that knee, flexing the fingers of her right hand, she bowed her head. They were suggesting time travel, to a point _before_ the War of Transgression, something that wasn't normally possible. Going back to a foreign time to live in a foreign land, trying to stop something – she wasn't quite sure what yet, but she had an idea – from happening, was a heavy burden.

What if she failed?

Then she thought of something that clamped her heart in a vise: the Pulse Vestige floating past her as she and Sazh stood in the Hanging Edge, watching her sister crystallize in front of her, Snow's relentless optimism in the face of such extraordinary circumstances… the people she had journeyed with, how each had changed, how they had grown together to be like family…

Vanille, bearing her guilty conscience with bravery and cheer, however forced…

Snow, carrying death's weight on his shoulders, trying to help everyone at once, make up for all of his mistakes…

Hope, suddenly alone, forced to grow up too fast…

Sazh, ready to face the world to save his son…

Fang, making everything worse out of desperation, pushing on regardless of how difficult things became…

And herself, letting her walls down, learning to lead, rely on, trust others.

They had made a long and difficult journey, often having to make snap decisions, led by Barthandelus, coaxed by Orphan, completing their Focus but also rejecting it. How could she turn her back on the possibility of fixing things, restoring the timeline to how it was supposed to be, keeping that third stone from striking the window and letting the rain in?

_Into the belly of the beast_.

"What must I do?"

Simultaneously with a soft blue glow enveloping her body came an image of Caius, looking over the Steppe as an army swarmed over it, the expression on his face one of despair, and determination. As she felt her armor peel away, she saw him place a hand over his heart, beneath which the familiar glowing outline of a Pulse l'Cie brand could be seen. Seconds later he burst into shadow and soared into the sky. The fact that this event had been repeated three times now told her in no uncertain terms: this was what she was to prevent, no matter the cost, and it would be up to her to figure out how.

The outfit that replaced her armor was made of durable fabric resembling cotton. A peach-colored top, off the shoulder, brown pants, and boots made from tough leather alighted on her body with the blue glow. Adornments with multicolored shells and iridescent feathers appeared, some on her arms, others hanging off her waist, with one woven into her hair and hanging over her left shoulder. The entire outfit was colorful, made of lush colors and gemstone hues, but not so bright that it made one's eyes bleed. When the blue glow faded, she stood in Pulse garb, looking down at herself and wondering which tribe it was from.

The image of a crumbling metropolis entered her mind. After a second, she recognized it as Haerii, the ancient city on the border of the Faultwarrens. No doubt the outfit belonged to their people. Their proximity to the lush, colorful valley Titan frequented explained the structure.

"I'll do it." What choice did she have, in the end? She could stay here, wait it out, hope that one day she could fix what had been lost, or go back in time and take a chance.

The tiny pinprick of light, which she'd nearly forgotten about, grew until it towered over her as a golden column, vaguely resembling the anomalies she had seen before. No doubt it was the portal; she walked toward it, extending a hand, and paused.

Where would she be going? _When_ would she end up? How was she supposed to accomplish her goal? It was a weary burden. On top of the death she'd seen, the end of the world she had glimpsed, it seemed as though she were running away again, much as she had in her old life. She didn't want to abandon her family, her friends, all those whom she had known, but she had no choice.

In her head, another image formed: a retaining wall with gaps, through which water rushed. Someone threw a sandbag on one gap, stopping the flow. Did that mean if she stepped through this gate, she would be effectively severing herself from this time?

Lightning took a deep, careful breath. It was simple. All she had to do was arrive at a fixed point, not long before this army actually came for Paddra, watch over Caius as he performed his Guardian duties, and prevent him from merging with Bahamut, ending his life. _Very_ simple – a child could do it. With her training, it wouldn't be an issue.

One last image formed in her head: her, smiling and laughing amongst people she'd never seen before but took to be from Paddra, with Caius, sitting beside her with a soft smile. No, it _could_ become an issue: what if she grew attached to the world of the past, and didn't want to go back?

_You will love these people, this culture, this land, but you cannot stay_.

"Just have a gate ready when I'm finished," she said, straightened her shoulders, and touched the portal.

_I must complete my Focus_.

She felt lightheaded, dreamy, much as she had when traveling through the Historia Crux the first time she'd landed in Valhalla. As her vision gave way to a curiously bright light, the last sensation she had was a quiet farewell.


	2. Prewar Pulse

_**Prewar Pulse**_

It was a warm, sunny, cheerful summer day in Academia 400 AF, and Serah was enjoying herself.

The metropolis hadn't much in the way of land area, but what it lacked in acreage it made up for in height: tall, gleaming skyscrapers all curves and flowing lines, like an art deco museum come to life, with the central building of the Academy Headquarters dominating the northern skyline. Between the spires of the headquarters, if you stood just right, was visible the unfinished shell of the new Cocoon. It was a very normal sight; few passerby gave it much of a glance. Only Mog, the white-furred moogle companion of theirs, turned any heads, and even those were fairly brief moments of interest.

It's amazing how much better one feels after a night of uninterrupted sleep and a dash of summer rain the following morning. The sky had been washed clean to shine a brilliant blue, without a cloud to break it up. The air smelled like wet asphalt and moist earth. Even the fumes from the cars had been subdued, slinking away to some corner where they could lurk till the midday heat invited them up again.

Serah leaned on the rail of the platform, off on the east side of town near some shining penthouses, and peered down at the ground. Past the vehicles whizzing by, she saw shadowy earth quite a few stories down, still green even where the sun didn't reach except for midday.

"Sightseeing?"

Serah leaned back, hands still gripping the rail, and glanced over her shoulder. "Can you blame me? This place… it's like a three-dee canvas."

"A _crowded _canvas." Noel wrinkled his nose. "That smells like feet."

"It's called 'asphalt'."

"Smells just like feet to me."

"I forgot you're not used to this, I mean, not really." She turned around, leaning backward now, enjoying the brief look of paranoia on her companion's face. "So many folks all scurrying around, doing their thing. I'm used to it. I love people. But I guess it's–"

"Look, Serah, we've been over this. No, I'm not keen on so many… what'd you say, 'folks'? But…" He looked around, getting a faceful of sparkles in the process – Mog hovered near his shoulder, wings beating, pink sparkles positively coming off him in showers. "…I could get used to it. Someday."

"I know you're eager to get going."

"Aren't we _always _going somewhere, though? It's kind of a habit."

The young woman shook her head, rubbing the back of it with one hand. The other kept her propped up; Noel had a longer, less subtle look of concern on his face this time as she balanced herself. Finding it amusing, she strung it out a bit as Mog floated closer to eye her stance, wings sending puffs of wind rolling over her.

"You said Caius could be on the other side. I'm not… too much in a rush."

He shrugged. "You're with me."

"Who says you'll _stay_ with me? Things happen. Accidents happen. You said humans 'die easy'."

"I know, but…" He trailed off, staring into the endless traffic.

Serah yawned and looked past him, toward Cocoon, suddenly thinking she had forgotten something. With all the errands they'd agreed to do for people, the pressure they had to protect the future and the timeline, the information overload they'd both received in their travels, it was a possibility. She wasn't exactly forgetful, but there _had_ been a few instances when things slipped her mind, and this appeared to be one of them.

"So, should we head for the gate?" she piped up.

Noel flexed his fingers. "Probably. We're both rested, right? We should get moving. No sense wasting time here."

"Wasting time." She rubbed her forehead. "Once, that was just a figure of speech."

"It will be again."

Serah thought of something. "What if… what if that gate leads to Valhalla?"

A change came over her companion's face, some chilling combination she didn't like. "If _that_ happens, we're going _right_ back through. I can't…" He frowned. "Did I ever tell you what it was like there? How it felt?"

Serah thought a second. "A bit."

"Well, I came from world's end, right? No people. Nothing growing. Valhalla's _worse_. There's nothing. Can you wrap your head around that? 'Nothing'? There's stuff to see, like buildings and a temple, but it's not _there_. It's a void with a shape. It's nothing. Just _nothing_."

Serah folded her hands and wrung them as she mulled it over. No matter how she tried, how she focused, how she thought, she couldn't wrap her head around it. She couldn't imagine it – no day, no night, no form, no shape, no time, _nothing_. The place, as Noel had sometimes mentioned, was a paradox unto itself – existing and not existing, alive and dead, time flowing and time stopped. Just the short time he had passed through there on his way into the Historia Crux from his world upset him. Something "Schrodinger", if she recalled correctly. It involved a cat. Or something.

"Either way, we have to be brave. Any gate could take us there. Hopefully, this one'll take us straight where we need to go."

Noel groaned. "Have _any_ taken us where we need to go yet?"

Her shoulders slumped. "No."

"Then don't count on it."

She patted his shoulder, trying to look cheerful. "Cheer up, Noel. Think of it this way: we've found so many cool places already, how about some more? It'll be fun, or we'll get sidetracked. Or we'll die."

He groaned again. "Oh, c'mon…"

She nudged his chin with her fist. "I said cheer up."

"Ah–"

"Cheer. Up."

"Whoa, okay, Miss Farron, I got it." He patted his hands in the air and backed up a step. "I'll do my homework and get to class on time too!"

She blinked. "Ah, right…" She rubbed her hands together. "Well, let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go home to… wherever we end up. Come on, and gimme that artifact. And, uh, don't worry about Valhalla, okay?" She plucked the string of her bow, took the artifact from Noel, and led the way to the newly uncovered gate.

* * *

Lightning heard a splashing sound, discovered she had a mouthful of water, felt something slippery wiggle past her shoulder, and briefly panicked, clawing her way toward the murky sunlight overhead. Some agonizing seconds later, she burst from the surface of a fast-flowing but only hip-deep river with a very hot sun beating down on her shoulders. Two seconds later something whizzed by her ear and _ploinked_ in the water.

"First warning! Go away!"

Lightning shook her head, spitting out more water. She had a chance to duck something flying at her before she saw her assailant: a girl in her teens with shoulder-length brown hair holding a bow with a degree of awkwardness and fitting another arrow into it.

Lightning was having none of this. "Stop!" she cried, waving her hands. She wasn't too worried: she wasn't more than fifty feet away, and both arrows had missed. "I'm not–"

"Anhui!" another voice cried, and the girl in question fired another arrow.

Lightning dodged it too and scrambled for the opposite bank. "Hey, hold on now, I am _not_–"

"She fell out of the sky, dip! And does she _look_ like a monster?"

"Came out of thin air, smart one!"

"She's not dangerous!"

Lightning gritted her teeth, ducking another poorly-aimed arrow. She was on Pulse, no doubt, if the huge trees and incredible blue sky were any indication. The river coursed through a huge mesa, at one end of which were towering cliffs topped with spindly trees like enormous dandelions. Off toward the horizon, she saw a mountain range, but couldn't see much more before another air struck the ground by her. The girl was getting more accurate.

"Stop it!" Lightning shouted.

"Anhui! That how you greet–" Another girl, similar in appearance but no older than maybe ten, bounded to the side of the older one and tugged on her bow. "Chill out! Give her a chance!"

Anhui set her arrow, but didn't fire it.

Lightning panted, drying fast in the heat. It was muggy, too, with insects buzzing about, including large butterflies and fat bumblebees. Mosquitoes joined the fray soon enough, whining about her head. She slapped at some of them, doing little to discourage the rest.

"Fine," Anhui grumbled, then, louder, "Who are you?"

"I'm–"

"And don't say you're not from Haerii! Your feathers say you're a warrioress!"

Lightning touched the iridescent feathers over her left shoulder. "Yes, I'm from Haerii, but I left. Permanently." She flexed her fingers, eyeing the river separating the trio. "Look, I'd love to explain, but if I keep shouting we might attract unwelcome guests!"

Anhui lowered her bow, though she didn't put it away. "Looking for an excuse?"

"No, I'm more concerned about the–" She hesitated and looked to her left. Far away toward the horizon was a group of oretoises – guis, if she was seeing correctly. "Well, those."

Anhui glanced at them. "Too far."

Lightning was starting to get irritated. The longer she stood here arguing with this girl, the less time she had to do what she had come here for. "Okay, fine, whatever. Just tell me, are we close to Paddra?"

Anhui looked confused. "What?"

"Are we close to Paddra?"

"You–" She relaxed the bowstring, holding both bow and arrow at her side. "You don't know where you are?"

"I fell out of the sky."

The smaller girl tugged on the older one's clothing, saying something Lightning couldn't hear. Anhui said, "I know you did. We're a few miles from Paddra. We're–" Here, she gestured between herself and her companion with her free hand. "–from Paddra, actually."

Lightning knew Gran Pulse demanded inherent toughness from its inhabitants, but to see these girls out here with no supervision made her curious. "And you're out here alone?"

Anhui smirked. "Nope."

Lightning felt herself go a little bit pale. If they weren't out here alone – which wasn't surprising, considering they were barely in their teens, it seemed – then who was with them? With her luck, it'd be Caius. "Where's your, uh, the person who– your–" She struggled to remember the word. "Chaperone?"

"Oh, Roscoe? Behind you."

Lightning grunted and pivoted to look behind her. The open expanse of plain going off toward mountains so high they went into the clouds revealed absolutely nothing. "Unless he's invisible, there's no–"

A man dropped out of a large tree to her left right in the middle of her field of mission. Lightning faced him and reached for her weapon, but… there was only her hunting knife, which was ineffectual against what this man – a tall, willowy sort with big brown eyes and practical hunter's clothing – carried at his hip: two blades crossed just below the hilt with jagged backs. As she stared at him, his eyes widened further as he looked her over.

"Roscoe, huh?" Somehow, he didn't seem all that threatening. "Hi, then."

He blinked and said nothing.

Lightning decided that was probably the best response she was going to get. Ignoring the concerned look from the older girl, she walked across the river and climbed out a few feet away from the girls, shaking herself off while trying not to look threatening. Anhui backed up a few steps, gripping her bow with both hands, while the smaller girl eyed her with something like curiosity. Roscoe followed, easily clearing most of the river to land in the shallows on the other side, still wary, but not overly concerned.

As she wrung out her clothes, she tried to think of the best way to get these people to take her to the city. That seemed to be the most difficult challenge ahead of her for the moment. After a bit of deep thought, she said, "Can you take me to Paddra?"

Anhui squinted. "Why?"

"I have important business there. I need to speak to Yeul." That was true – she suspected Yeul would at least have some idea what she was up to, if not a complete understanding of her purpose.

"The seeress?"

Lightning suppressed her impatience. Without knowing exactly when she had arrived beyond the fact that it was likely summer, she felt the press of the future on her shoulders. How long was it until the army invaded the city and the titanic clash began? How long was it before Caius became Guardian, if he was not already? Had she even arrived when she was supposed to?

"Yes, her, and it's important. Please." She spread her hands in a gesture of appeal. "All I ask is that you take me there, or point me in the right direction."

Anhui chewed her lip while the smaller girl shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Lightning lowered her hands back to her sides, looking around. The mountain range blocked her view of the horizon, but from the spindly trees alone, she figured that range was probably the Yaschas Massif, making this some sort of mesa spread out on the southwestern side. She wished she could see Cocoon, but if it was indeed the Yaschas Massif, then her view of the shell was blocked from here.

"What do you need her for?" Roscoe spoke for the first time. She looked at him to find a hand on his blades.

"Look, Roscoe, take me in chains if you want, _just let me speak to her_."

"You're from Haerii. They don't show up 'til trade season, usually. You a spy? Somethin' worse? What?"

"I left, and I'm not going back. That's all you need for now."

There was a brief staring contest that Anhui broke. "I guess it can't hurt, right?"

Roscoe shrugged and reached into his belt. Lightning watched as he unfurled a bit of twine and walked toward her with deliberate steps. When she backed up a step, he gave her a severe look. "Don't fight, okay? I'm faster than you think, _and_ stronger. Just relax," he said as he circled behind her, "and put your hands behind your back. There ya go, now hold still." Quickly and securely, he lashed her wrists together.

Lightning snorted. "Fine by me."

Anhui held up a finger, looked at the smaller girl, and said, "The bags."

The smaller girl bounded off toward a thicket, reached inside it, and dragged out two woven bags, one half-full and the other nearly full. The tops were not quite closed, giving Lightning a glimpse of large, round fruit in one and lots of fish in the other. Anhui grabbed the bag of fruit and hefted it over her shoulder while the other girl hung the other bag around her shoulders with two straps.

"By the way," Anhui said, "this is my sister, Malo. I'm Anhui."

Lightning nodded a greeting. The two girls were very similar in appearance, if separated by a few years, so it didn't surprise her. Both of them had brown hair and gray eyes. "Hey," she said.

Roscoe tugged on her arm. "Okay, so, take the low route."

She blinked. "What?"

Anhui pointed toward the mountains at a stand of brush resembling bamboo. The brush was in bloom, with large red flowers scattered haphazardly across it. "Go through the flowers and head down. Follow the stream. Keep going till Roscoe says otherwise."

Lightning walked toward the flowers, pausing to examine a bloom. The girls brushed past, releasing a heady, sweet scent that made her appreciate Pulse's flora. In her previous visit to this wild land, she had admired its beauty; to return to it was like a gift.

At Roscoe's urging, Lightning pushed through the flowers, releasing an enormous cloud of flowery scents and upsetting a bumblebee from its work. Beyond the flowers, the path snaked down to the left, following bedrock in the vague form of natural stepping stones she carefully climbed down. To the right, a skinny waterfall ran over mossy rocks to form a rippling pool in the shadows at the bottom. Once she was on level ground again, she had to pause and look around, awestruck.

The path led below the level of the mesa, following the stream into the greenery of the Massif's valleys. Up to the left, the cliff blocked some of the sunlight, while to the right, across the stream, thick woods stood in contrast to the cool shade they created. Ahead, the path continued down into a steamy valley surrounded by lush vegetation and various types of rock. Lightning continued on after a few moments, following the path ever onward. After a while, it widened into a wide valley with tall, round-topped mountains on either side. Waterfalls tumbled down their sides, cooling the valley further. To the right, some of the mountains merged into a larger, if shallower, range she felt a surge of familiarity at the sight of.

"Now head right and go up the cliff," Anhui told her.

Lightning spotted a steep path gouged in the cliff and followed it up. Overhead, at the top of the cliff, huge trees grew tall and strong with their roots growing straight out of the rock. The higher she climbed, the hotter it became, the humidity steadily increasing; at the top, the sun beat down without mercy, and once she hauled herself onto the clifftop, she had to stop and rest.

Malo and Anhui had little issue, standing on either side of her as she sat in the grass. "You okay?" Anhui asked, stooping to look at her.

"Mmm," Lightning mumbled, "yeah. Just… kind of tired." Being tired was a foreign feeling to her: having spent such a long time in Valhalla, she had grown used to never being hungry, tired, or much of anything beyond a need and desire to fight. Now her stomach was complaining of hunger, her body ached with exhaustion, and her thoughts had knotted themselves into a mess. Remembering her purpose, she forced herself to her feet. "And I'm a bit lacking in the nutrition department."

Anhui's brow furrowed, then she reached into the bag of fruit, pulling out a medium-sized fruit with porous skin like a citrus fruit. "Here," she said, holding it out.

Lightning felt her mouth water slightly as she inspected it. Roscoe took it and flicked out one of his blades to cut open the skin. It was weighty, she saw, with thick skin, and sort of sunset-yellow in color, like a mango, only round like an orange. As she continued inspecting it, she heard a soft giggle. Roscoe undid the twine around her wrists to let her take the fruit herself.

"What? It won't bite you!" Malo said, giggling again.

Lightning made a face, then peeled back the skin. Beneath the thick skin was a juicy, golden meat. She expected it to be sour and maybe acidic; she didn't expect it to be juicy and ridiculously sweet, and the combination surprised her into gasping softly, swallowing fast.

Malo laughed while Anhui bobbed her head. "Think that's bad? The overripe ones are the _best_!"

As fruit juice ran down her chin and she took another, more careful bite, Lightning decided that if this was how a normal fruit was, the overripe ones must be like biting into a water balloon.

When she finished eating, Roscoe lashed her wrists together again.

Sometime later, they crossed a couple of gaps using fallen logs and mossy stones, eventually climbing up into the recognizable, if different-looking, Pass of Paddra. Lightning looked around. The pass was geologically different, the valleys off to the sides not as shallow and the cliffs less weathered, while trees grew in crevices. The split in the path of her day was missing, leaving only the leftmost path. Where the right one was supposed to be was only a split in the cliff. She figured an earthquake must open it up at a later date.

Nearly to the city, Anhui said, "Slow down."

Lightning obeyed, slowing to a normal walk instead of the militaristic pace she'd been using.

"Be careful, okay?" Anhui came up beside her, looking up at her with one eyebrow lifted. "You shouldn't go in there without an escort. Hey, maybe Roscoe can go get someone to escort you in?" She looked at the man with big gray eyes. He smiled shyly at her before releasing Lightning and bounding off. The two girls pointed her toward the bend in the pass.

As they approached the bend, the last obstacle between her and a view of the city, Anhui squeaked. Lightning hopped to the right, pressing herself against the cliff, just as a pair of chocobos with riders went trotting past. The riders, one a visibly muscled woman and the other a fairly tall blond man, each gave her looks in turn. The lead chocobo dropped a shiny golden feather in its wake as it continued on.

The two sisters waited a moment before walking back into the pass, glancing left and right. Lightning managed to wriggle herself down to pick up the feather, tucking it securely into her belt. She could hear the sounds of the city, just out of view; the desire to see it about drove her mad. If she could get a good look at it, maybe she could tell what the date was. That it was intact told her she had probably arrived on time, or a little before, but the possibility of it being quite some time in the past worried her. If it was, she was sunk.

Lightning took a breath and stepped around the bend.

* * *

Since because there was no time, there was no way to pass it, so when Snow Villiers got bored, he took to pacing and trying to make sense of things that shouldn't exist. As far as he could tell, he was stuck fighting anything that was thrown at him. Proving he was resourceful, though, meant the Arbiter – whatever he was – had begun to run out of stuff to toss his way.

Snow had fought behemoths with attitudes that'd put an angry Lightning to shame, a giant squid with a disturbing love for anything female, the longhaired former right hand of Primarch Dysley, Jihl Nabaat herself, a shiny robot, and a swordsman who seemed to be lost and insisted Snow fight like a lady that dressed like a man. That was only the half of it, of course – he'd fought numerous things besides that, ranging from mutant flans to images of people he had never seen before in his life.

Because this place was cut off from the normal flow of time, however, he did have one interesting advantage: it was like watching live television.

If he stopped pacing and concentrated, he could watch the flow of time. In his head, he could best describe it as such: a long, tightly-braided rope that was horribly frayed in some places as the timeline shot off into paradoxical directions. Since he had disappeared from the Sunleth Waterscape, he'd been watching Serah and Noel jumping back and forth in their attempt to repair all the fractures, but also been able to watch Lightning duking it out with her dark-haired rival. All told, nothing had been terribly out of the ordinary, and he'd watched the end coming for some time.

At one point, though, the braid of the timeline unraveled a little at the end, the timeline suddenly fraying, the ends dissipating into darkness.

Snow paced in a circle, feeling both panicked and tortuously curious. "Hey," he said, stopping his circling. "What just happened?"

Always watching and usually silent, the Arbiter of Time, Master of Time and Space, and Ruler of the Coliseum (or so went the self-bestowed titles), stared at him, speaking for the first time in a while in his ridiculously deep and somewhat warped voice.

"The timeline has been altered," he explained.

Snow glared at him. "I know that. I've been watching, you know. Every time those two kids change something, I see frays and fractures, and usually at the end of each strand is a new world, a new possibility. But this is… this is _way_ different."

It was true: each change Noel and Serah made created new possibilities branching off from the point in time they had altered. However, the end result remained unaffected, sitting like a scab at the end of time, never moving, never changing. No matter how many changes the two made, it never moved, and ultimately all the strands led right to the same place without fail. It had made him hopeless, making him decide to just remain in the Coliseum until after the end and see if he could fix it later.

This time, however, was different. The scab of Valhalla had simply vanished, the end of time fraying and the ends of the strands dark.

"I see." The Arbiter towered over him with arms folded, but Snow had gotten so used to its constant presence that he wasn't even bothered anymore. "The end of time has disappeared. Valhalla, it is gone."

Snow felt his brow furrow. "What's that mean?" His frown deepened. "Hey… I can't see her anymore."

That bothered him more than Valhalla just disappearing: his future sister-in-law had disappeared from the face of the timeline entirely. Where he could normally watch her war with the world-destroyer Caius Ballad, he couldn't see her at all. Now, only Caius remained, a sore spot on the timeline, waiting where the timeline frayed.

Snow fought the bout of panic. Why'd she disappear? "Something's wrong."

The Arbiter grumbled something. "Do you concern yourself with such a pathetic idea as the face of time?"

Snow glanced heavenward. "Yeah. It's my home."

In his head, the image of the timeline changed again. At the very beginning, the once-clear image of Lightning being dragged away by chaos became muddled, as if he were looking through foggy glass. Everything between those two points – Lightning and the waiting Caius – remained completely unchanged.

Bewildered, Snow paced a moment, then sat down, folding his hands. His mind mulled over the mystery. While major changes had occurred before, such a massive alteration had never been witnessed in all of his lengthy travels.

* * *

Lightning blinked as her pupils contracted, growing used to the sudden increase in light. Spread out before her was a city, completely intact, with people milling about in the plaza and shop owners calling out their wares. The noise came mostly from them and the chocobos, who were being tied up in the shade by their riders. One of them drank noisily from a bucket while the other preened itself. Anhui urged her forward; she stepped onto a ramp leading down into the familiar plaza, sans the sinkhole in the middle.

"And here's Paddra!" Malo said happily. She gave a sheepish smile. "But you probably figured that out."

Lightning nodded, still looking around. The Paddra she knew had been a ghost town devoid of life except for plants and insects once the Cie'th had been cleared out. The plaza where she and the others had faced Vercingetorix was intact, its pillars supporting a roof that provided plenty of shade. The buildings near the back of the city were also intact, sporting well-cared-for blooming vines as well as colorful curtain in the windows. Through it all blew a cool, fresh breeze, slightly damp; she breathed it in and exhaled slowly.

"There's Roscoe!" Malo cried. Looking where Malo was pointing, Lightning spotted the young man returning with a spring in his step.

Anhui looked unimpressed. "Roscoe, seriously? Where's the escort?" Pause. "Or are you it?"

"Guardian's busy. Apprentice comin'."

Anhui looked bright. "Really?" she said. Lightning spotted a slight flush to her cheeks and cocked an eyebrow.

"Anhui, don't be so obvious," Roscoe teased her.

She hid her smile. "Right. Sorry."

The foursome stood around and stared at each other for a few minutes. Lightning squirmed, groaned, and sat down in the shade with her back against the mossy cliff face. The girls glanced at her. Roscoe frowned. "Huh. He should be here by n– you know what, wait here. Imma go see what's the hang-up." Then he took off running back the way he came. The girls sat down beside her with some wary distance.

"Apprentice?" she asked.

Anhui half-smiled. "He's– uh, well, you'll see. Probably seen him before, but yeah."

Lightning wondered who Caius's apprentice would be. At the end of the world, it had been Noel, and there'd been no indication he had ever needed to train an apprentice before then.

Just as Lightning was beginning to wonder if she was out of luck, she heard the sisters scramble to their feet and saw them bow their heads in respect. The woman stood, wondering why they were doing that, then found out as she saw that Roscoe had returned, at his side a very familiar face – a face from her nightmares.

"Apprentice here," he said with a nod.

As Malo and Anhui straightened, waiting in silence, Lightning felt her hands trembling, resisting the instinct to grab for her knife. Standing before her, the armored bodysuit replaced by black clothing with white and purple accents, but unmistakably the man she knew, looking at her with vague hostility and interest, was Caius Ballad.


	3. Meetings

_**Meetings**_

Lightning quickly suppressed her violent instincts, flexing her fingers instead. Caius looked roughly the same age he had become immortal at, carrying himself differently in this past age with his shoulders back and the usual haughty look replaced by something more neutral. His outfit bared his upper arms and the inside of his forearms, revealing nearly-healed marks and scratches on the skin. One shoulder was faintly bruised. It seemed the outfit was meant to appear intimidating. The effect was not lost on her as she let her eyes rove over him. His expression was neutral but his eyes were intent, gazing at her with such ferocity that she almost couldn't look back at him. Although she looked him in the eye, her hands fidgeted at her sides.

"We do okay?" Anhui murmured.

Caius's concentration broke, and he looked down at her. Instantly, his expression softened as he bent at the waist to their level. "You two are quite brave bringing a warrior back here," he said, "even if she is not an enemy. There are always chances for rogues."

"We can handle it!" Malo said brightly.

Lightning looked between the three of them. Caius knew these two, then. "I'll tell you I'm no rogue," she put in.

Caius glanced at her. "Those are merely words."

She scowled and looked away.

"You two go on." He straightened, taking their shoulders and pushing them toward the city. "Take your wares back to the merchants and make _sure_ you get home on time. If I have to hunt you down again, you two…"

Anhui looked at him. "That was _one time_."

"Once was enough. Now _go on_." He placed both hands on his hips with his shoulder to her. She had the feeling he was still watching her closely. Once the two girls were out of sight, Caius faced her, then moved closer, enough to noticeably look _down_ at her. Unnerved, Lightning backed up a step. "I will be your escort. As a Haerii citizen, you are an ally by default, but the question of why you were alone – and why you fell out of the sky," he added with a cocked eyebrow, "means you may not be what you seem."

Lightning folded her arms. How many times had she looked up at him like this? How many times had he tried to intimidate her with a low voice and eloquent speech? While he was less frightening here than in Valhalla, it did little to quell her fight-or-flight instinct.

"You do what you want," she told him curtly. "I'll follow."

He nodded "Good. Walk ahead of me and do as I say, though there are too many warriors and hunters around for you to cause much trouble."

"I understand."

The bustle of the city filled the gap of silence for a minute. He moved closer still, almost making her back up toward the cliff. He _towered_ over her, she realized, with his broad shoulders and long torso and legs that made him look even more imposing silhouetted against the noon sky. She barely reached his _shoulder_, never truly able to wrap her head around that until now. Uncomfortable with the proximity, she squirmed. She _hated_ it when others invaded her personal space. Her first instinct was, naturally, to bolt.

"You are dressed as a warrior with accessories to indicate you are also a hunter," he said.

_Am I_? "What's your point?"

"Am I supposed to believe you?" he asked, and bent down a little, almost to her eye level. Lightning finally backed up to conserve her sense of privacy. "I don't for a second."

She blinked. "Why?"

He reached out, seizing her wrist and lifting it. She squirmed again, fighting her growing desire to turn his face inside out. Extending her arm to its full length, he closed his thumb and middle finger around her wrist while giving her an unconvinced look. His hand easily encircled her wrist, and whether he really did or not, it sure _felt_ like he dwarfed her.

"Certainly," he deadpanned. "A warrior _and_ a hunter."

She scoffed and twisted herself out of his grip. He immediately let go, thankfully. "Yeah, I _am_."

He only stared at her. "I find that hard to believe."

Irritated, she mimicked his stare. When was he going to take her to Yeul? "Are you interrogating me now? I thought you were my _escort_, not my–"

"No warrior or hunter, female or otherwise, is _ever_ as thin and pale as you are."

Lightning had never really thought of herself as skinny or pale – it was just how she was. In Cocoon, she'd looked perfectly normal. Now, as she glanced around and spotted female warriors, noting their thicker build and tanned skin, she realized that unlike Cocoon, this was a civilization of outdoorsmen. "Thin and pale" was just not the norm. "Well, I am," she said. "Want me to prove it?"

"Yeul will decide you fate. And if not–" He partly turned his back to her and gestured subtly with his left hand to draw her attention to a collapsed spear slung across his back – one with a dark, cruel-looking blade. "I am confident I could handle anything you try."

Lightning examined the spear. The tip resembled the Ragnarok blade. "I'm convinced."

"Good." He smirked at her and sent a flood of unpleasant memories surging through her blood. "Go straight across the plaza toward the buildings in the center."

Lightning did as she was asked. While she got a couple of curious looks from the passerby, for the most part they were uninterested in her. A couple of younger girls – those who had recently become teens, it looked like – looked at Caius fleetingly. He didn't return the looks, following her with slightly shorter strides that kept him behind her but still at the same pace with her.

"Hey, by the way, stranger," she said, "you got a name?"

He looked at her as she slowed to walk a little sideways a moment and meet his eyes. "I am Caius of the Jenhi clan, born and raised in this city," he said. "And yourself?"

Could she say "Lightning"? If she did that, though, would she be in the historical record forever under a name not usually used as a birth name? She didn't need anyone in the future to find her here. She needed things to go back to the way they were to begin with. But she couldn't think of an alias, however she wracked her brain. When she tried to think of what sounded Pulsian in origin, she came up short.

Sighing, she decided to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. "Claire." _Wait, what? My birth name_?

"Claire." The way he said it made it sound elegant. Or maybe she wasn't used to being called by it. "Just 'Claire', hmm? Somewhat of an unusual name."

Not where she came from. "So?"

He smirked again. "It's unusual, but I like it."

"Thanks. I guess." If this could any more awkward, she didn't know how.

She continued onward, weaving her way through people and structures, but her steps kept faltering as she looked around in fascination. Caius didn't urge her on, moving up to walk beside her. With him at her shoulder, she tensed, but forgot about it after a minute.

The Paddra she knew was one swarming with Cie'th. The Paddra of the ancient past was one swarming with _life_, the shouts of merchants and the bustle of humanity filling every inch with warmth. Brightly-colored woven tapestries hung off the faces of buildings. Young children scrambled about, shooed by adults, chasing each other, while older ones stood apart from the bustle in groups. The more-or-less-skyscrapers in the center were an interesting mix of ancient and modern, seeming terribly out of place amongst the more primitive-looking trappings of the city and people below.

When she wandered toward the city center, Caius blocked her way, frowning and shaking his head. She gave him a confused look; he nodded, and she looked down the line of his arm to see him pointing off toward a landscaped section of vegetation surrounding a nondescript building. Lightning walked toward it with Caius uncomfortably close beside her.

"Yeul is in her chambers," he told her, gesturing to the doorway. Lightning entered the building to find it more lavish on the inside with flowering plants in pots and sunlight shafting though a slotted window. "Wait here," he added once she was inside, "and I will fetch her Guardian. Only he can decide whether you may come in or not."

She asked, "Who's the current Guardian?"

He seemed momentarily befuddled. "Miyoki, of course."

Lightning sat in a chair near the entrance and crossed her legs to wait. Caius eyed her, then slipped through a tapestry made of woven grass, dyed a myriad of colors. A moment later she heard the sound of low voices talking on the other side, one gruffer and raspier than Caius's comparatively smooth and youthful tone. Curious, Lightning sat on the edge of her seat. So, Caius was only an apprentice. That meant she was early, but how early? Early enough to do as she needed, or far too?

Then the voices cut off abruptly with Caius's familiar grunt of exasperation before the tapestry lifted. Caius came back in with a tall, longhaired man at his side. The man had a neatly-trimmed graying beard and dark eyes that were hazel in color. What skin was exposed was ruddy and freckled. Crow's feet and wrinkles decorated his face, although many lines appeared to be from the sun rather than age. He moved with clipped and practiced movements and wore a very practical hunter's outfit with elaborate embroidery. Pulse script decorated his shirt, black against a green background.

"So, you're the Haerii warrioress," he muttered, looking her up and down. Lightning stood. "That's nice. Claire?"

"That's me. You're Miyoki, then?"

He bobbed his head, then looked over at Caius, who was noticeably taller than him. "Hey, you," he said, "make yourself useful. Go pull those curtains, get some sunshine in here. Go on, peacock, strut."

Caius visibly cringed, but only a little, before moving to do as he said. Lightning wondered what was up with the "peacock" thing, but figured it was none of her business. She looked back at the Guardian as Caius filled the room with sunlight.

"He's a little nerve-rackin', yeah?" Miyoki asked.

Lightning chewed her lip. "I've had worse. But he _did_ try to interrogate me."

"About your paleness?" At her incredulous look, he smirked and folded his arms. "Yeah, he said you're a little too thin and pale to be what you claim, but I've seen stranger. Caius has a tendency to take things at face value. Don't mind him too much."

Lightning tried to relax. "Alright."

"Go talk to Yeul. She said she's expectin' you." Miyoki jerked his head toward the tapestry. "I'll wait out here 'cuz she asked, but you better not cause trouble, or else." A twitch of his hand drew her attention to a staff he had slung at the small of his back, a heavy wooden thing with polished brass on either end. Lightning lifted an eyebrow.

She nodded. "I understand." Pause. "Do _you_ know why I'm here?"

"No," he said, "and it ain't my business."

"But I th–"

"It's up to Yeul if you stay or not, warrioress," he told her very firmly, shutting her up. "Just as it is up to _you_ if _you_ want to tell _us_ why you're here."

"I don't."

"Then only _she_ will know. Go talk. And don't make trouble."

Lightning glanced at him, then stepped past him, subconsciously giving him a nice berth as she lifted the tapestry and went inside the chamber beyond. It was shadier back here, but once her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in a small room with a pool in the middle. A cool breeze blew in through a rear window. She looked around, searching for company.

"You must be Claire."

It took Lightning a moment to respond to her birth name instead of her nickname; she looked to her left to see a woman, maybe a year or two younger than her, with long blue-green hair and green eyes. She was slender, wearing a silky asymmetrical outfit with flowers in her hair. Giving Lightning a smile, she approached with an expression that told her this girl had far fewer burdens than the ones she'd seen.

"Y–" Lightning caught her tongue, staring. She looked like a taller, womanly version of Yeul, the small, frail girl of the future. This was no "girl", though: this was a woman, not yet _fully_ grown but nearly so, with a lower voice and more graceful movements. "Yes," she said after a moment, "that's me."

The woman took one of her hands in both of hers, patting the back of it with her fingers. Lightning had the distinct feeling, from the way the woman's green eyes roved over her, that Yeul was evaluating her somehow. After a few seconds, she released her hand.

"I know why you came, so I won't keep you."

Lightning felt a surge of relief. That took a great deal of stress off her shoulders. "Thank you."

The girl gave her a disarming smile. "Of course. I know your entire purpose here and a bit about who you are, and that you have already met Caius. That's good." Turning, she walked toward the pool. "That means you can focus on getting to know him."

"_Know_ him? No," Lightning muttered, "all I'm here for is a job. If I can help it, I'll never call him 'friend'."

"That will be difficult." Yeul's voice was firmer now, a frown creasing her forehead. Lightning deflated. "You're here to keep him from dying in the war to come. I've seen this war, but it does not come soon, though I don't know the date quite yet." She held up a hand as Lightning opened her mouth. "If you want to complete your purpose, you _must_ get to know him. Do you think you'll be able to protect him from the ruthless horde without him trusting you at his side?"

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned in exasperation.

"You made a lovely impression today."

"I _know_," she muttered. "I don't have to get to know him at all. I'll just do my duty and go home."

Yeul frowned harder. "Yes you will, Claire. You must earn the trust of everyone. Do you think a foreigner can just spend her time here wiling away the days when harvesters, hunters, travelers, and warriors are needed? If you plan to protect us, you should be like us."

Lightning remembered the vision of her sitting beside Caius, talking and laughing amongst a number of unfamiliar faces. She sighed and dropped her hand.

"Alright, fine. How do I start?"

Yeul stopped frowning, looking relieved. "Well," she said, sitting on the stone floor beside the pool. She paused, patting the stone across from her. Lightning sat cross-legged. "Find your niche. Are you best as a warrior, or can you be a harvester or hunter, too? Can you perform a trade to keep our economy going? Can you travel to other cities for goods and materials? These are all important, Claire."

Lightning draped her arms across her knees.

"And," she continued, "you must find a place to stay."

Lightning flexed her fingers, saying, "It won't be easy, will it? My Focus, I mean."

A change came over Yeul's countenance. Lightning caught a glimpse of sympathy in her eyes. She gave Lightning a soft, if ever so slightly sad, smile. "No, Claire, it will not be easy. You will love these people, this culture, this land, but you cannot stay."

"I know," she murmured. Those words had echoed in her head just before she'd traveled back in time. "And besides that, it'll be physically demanding. I'll get tired, wore out, injured and probably sick, and run to death. No doubt I'll run into monsters I've never seen before. Beyond that, I have to put up with his _attitude_, and the girls, and an alien culture, and I just…" She trailed off, burying her face in her hands.

"What you shall find," Yeul said, "will hurt more than any cut to the bone. It will pierce your heart. It will open old wounds and tear new ones. You'll find the greatest joy, and feel the deepest sorrow."

Lightning wondered just how special these people would be to her. "I can do it. No matter what, I _must_ complete my Focus."

To her surprise, Yeul laughed at her. "Oh, Claire, for all your brilliance, your mind is still so much like a flytrap," she said. "It devours what it wishes and casts aside all else. Now, I will tell you the summer season is upon us, so the heat and humidity will only get worse. I don't know where you're from yet, but I know it isn't around here."

Lightning nodded. "It might be too hot for me."

"In the interim, you should look into someplace to stay. It's nearing the noon hour, and you will be of no use if you get heatstroke."

Lightning grimaced. "Good point…"

"You may stay here. Whoever you truly are, wherever you are from, whatever the full depth of your purpose…" She stood; Lightning did the same. "…I'll help you any way I can. To prove you're allowed to stay among us, keep this with you for now." She slipped a bracelet off her wrist made of bluish shells woven into a white cord, gestured for Lightning to extended her arm, and placed it on its new home on her wrist. "This is a bracelet I made myself. It is a symbol of my…" She pursed her lips. "…grace."

Lightning fiddled with the bracelet. In her whole life, she'd never worn so many decorative objects. "Thanks."

Yeul nodded. "In time, you may remove it. Also, you may want to adopt the fashions of Paddra in order to blend in better. Now, you are free to go. Don't mind Miyoki, or Caius."

Lightning screwed up her features in a cross between a grimace and a smirk.

"Also…" Yeul retreated to a corner, opened a drawer, withdrew some small objects, and returned. "This is enough for a few nights at a hotel on the promenade. Ask Caius to show you if you don't know."

Lightning thanked her, waited until she was dismissed, and left. Miyoki opened his mouth when she approached, but spotted the bracelet and stayed silent, giving her a respectful partial bow from the waist. Fiddling with the bracelet again, she nodded at him, started to leave, and paused.

"You're under our grace." Caius's voice was _almost_ neutral except for some curiosity.

She looked at him. He was leaning against a wall. "Yeah."

Miyoki _huffed_. "You can be useless for a while, but not long, alright? Caius, you make sure she joins you and the others on the next group hunt. That's, uh, in about five days, right? I want you to show her the ropes, make sure she doesn't get in the habit of bein' a slug. Got it?"

Caius grimaced. "Why do _I_ need to do that? Why not the others?"

"Because you're the apprentice and in charge of the hunts." The older man looked at her. "I've gotta give him lots of stuff to do or he gets all squirrely."

"I do not," Caius insisted.

"In your head, maybe," Miyoki said with a grin. Caius scowled, but it seemed good-natured.

"Group hunts, huh?" Lightning thought this sounded interesting. "Well, I guess I could give it a try. There's worse things I could be doing. I usually hunt alone, though," she said, looking between the two men. "I prefer it. It helps me concentrate, and I don't have to worry about others."

"Here in Paddra, we hunt _together_." The Guardian folded his arms. "There's too many things out there lookin' to kill us dead and eat our guts to go huntin' alone. You're goin' with others. No contest."

Lightning shrugged. "Fine."

"Caius is leadin' the next group hunt. You're on it."

Lightning paled and looked at the darkhaired man. No. That just couldn't happen. Although he was her quarry and her only reason for existing at this point – more or less – he was still the warrior in Valhalla to her, and she could see his fierceness barely contained within his heart. Right now, Caius was relaxed, but his eyes were intense and the lines of his body betrayed pent-up energy. If she went on a hunt with him, how could she know she wouldn't snap and just _react_? She had to get _used_ to him being a neutral force first.

"I–" she mumbled.

"Good. It's settled. Now go. You too, peacock."

Together – although Caius let her go first – they walked back out into the blazing hot sunshine. Lightning grunted and glared at the sun. If it wasn't even summer yet, she wondered how much worse it would be when it _was_. She panted softly and rubbed her forehead.

"Do you know someplace where you can stay?" he asked.

Lightning turned on him. The tone that fell from her lips was very familiar – the same snide, sharp, bitter tone that she used whenever they got into one of their spectacular wars. "I'm smart enough to figure this all out on my own," she said, careful not to use the term "Ballad" as it didn't belong to him yet. "I don't need you to help me out and I don't need anyone showing me any 'ropes'. The best thing you can do is leave me alone. If I see you again before the day's over, it's too soon."

Caius was visibly taken aback by this outburst. "I see, short-tempered, are we? Fine, if you can't be bothered to let anyone help you out–"

"Not 'anyone', Caius, _you_ and you _alone_."

Now he really looked confused. "I… see. Well, whatever I did to you, I apologize. Personally I've never seen you before in my life–"

Lightning felt a little guilty. "Yeah, right, well, go on, I'll be fine. _Go_."

His brow furrowed, but he did as she asked, turning and walking off across the city. Lightning watched him go and thought she was being a little rough on him. It was true, this Caius – of the past, before the War and before the Heart – had never seen her, but his personality was the same, she just _knew_ that was the case. Somewhere under that young and carefree façade was the raging beast she'd fought for far too long. If she pressed the wrong button, she could set him off spectacularly and rediscover the angry warrior.

Or maybe that was just what she was _hoping_ to find. Who knew?

She headed toward the promenade, which they had passed when he was escorting her to see Yeul, and clasped the coins in her hand until her knuckles were white.

* * *

Serah picked herself off the stone, rubbing her forehead where she had cracked it on the ground. Pushing herself to a kneeling position, she shook the dizziness out of her head. She was back in the Void Beyond, surrounded by floating chunks of rock and innumerable stars, the same pale, cold light coming from nowhere to light her way. It appeared she'd landed alone, too: Noel was nowhere in sight.

"Noel?" she called out. Her voice echoed faintly off the nearest pillars, but otherwise vanished into the emptiness of space. "Noel! Can you hear me? _Noel_!" She cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted. No answer of any sort came to her.

Feeling her torso, she discovered the string of her bow still around it. Standing, she headed toward a stone staircase beyond a dead tree, rubbing her arms in the cold, still air. The world was dead silent, the only sound being the scuff of her boots on the stone and her own body – raspy breathing, obnoxiously loud pulse in her ears. She continued on, steering clear of cracks and drop-offs.

A second later, she heard a sound like wind pushing a branch along a path. Something appeared on the first landing of the staircase. A surge of recognition filtered into her brain: it was Yeul.

"Yeul?" she said, hurrying forward. The girl in question it was, turning her bright green eyes on the approaching woman. "Yeul! How'd you get–"

"I am one of many," the girl said, cutting her off. Serah jogged up to her, slowing only once she was within a few feet of her. "And I am not actually here. I know of you, Serah Farron." Her eyes glazed over a bit, then she blinked it away. "Your journey has been a long one."

"It has," Serah said, nodding.

"But now it changes," she continued. "The future is in flux. The visions that once came so clearly to me are now but reflections in mudded waters. Things that have happened are changing. The threads of the future are unraveled. You have…" She frowned. "No. You are succeeding in your journey. Your purpose."

Serah tried to digest what the girl was saying, but remained confused. "You told me that changing the future changes the past. It's a ripple effect, isn't it?"

Yeul nodded. "Yes."

"And you– you can _see_ the changes in the timeline?"

"As can you. If you continue on this journey, you go ever closer to death. I can no longer see the future so clearly. I do not know what awaits you. You, too, will see less and less clearly. I do not know what is happening, and this truth is–" The girl hesitated, looking at the ground in silence.

"What? What truth?"

Yeul's brow furrowed. "We are in the dark now. Something is happening. The future once so clear is in flux. The threads of time have come undone. Possibilities shoot off into the void." The girl looked right into Serah's eyes. "Be warned."

Serah frowned. "Of what?"

Wisps of darkness appeared around the girl's petite frame. "You are fumbling in the dark, searching for the light. Be warned that you may – we _all_ may – stumble upon answers we cannot bear." And with those cryptic words, she vanished.

Serah groaned in frustration, then heard a sound behind her. When she turned and looked up, she spotted Yeul again, on a landing higher up, and jogged toward the steps to speak with her.

* * *

_Thanks to everyone who's reading this! Do check out my deviantART page, and why not read Caius's dialogue in his lovely voice while you're at it._


	4. It's a Date

**_It's a Date_**

Lightning checked into the hotel Yeul told her about, having to explain her situation when the manager questioned her as to why she was traveling alone since it wasn't trade season yet. An hour later, she was finally able to get to her room, located on one of the middle floors of the building. The room had a veranda; she kicked off her boots by the front door and stepped out onto it.

This high up, she had a breeze blowing across her face, though it wasn't that fast and not much cooler than the air below. Merchants shouting and people talking sounded quite tinny up here. She heard chocobos, winged predatory beasts overhead, the bustle of activity, and trees rustling in the wind. She was just deciding to go back inside and get comfortable when her stomach growled, and rather loudly at that.

She clapped both hands over it. "Hey, no need to fuss…"

It grumbled at her.

Patting it, she glanced around, shrugged, and left the room again.

She was back out on the promenade – a roughly circular plaza surrounded by trees with flowering bushes in the center – a few minutes later, strolling along, searching for someplace to eat. At this hour, it was too hot for much activity, so the city was largely deserted. She spotted a restaurant packed with people to the left and a shady open-air café off to the right; she picked the café. Reaching into her pack to make sure her coins were safe, she headed toward it. As she got closer, the plethora of mouthwatering smells that reached her about drove her crazy, and soon her stomach was practically swearing like a sailor for her to _hurry up_.

In the shadiness, she realized the café was actually more of a full-fledged, if small-sized, restaurant and relatively busy at that. There were a number of open tables; two girls sat at one of them. It took her a second to recognize them as Malo and Anhui, with Malo pointing out her presence to her sister. They scrambled to their feet to approach her.

Lightning figured two familiar faces was better than none. "Hey, girls."

Malo looked a little wary. Anhui, if she felt similarly, hid her feelings significantly better with a maturity that surprised Lightning for her age. "Hey. You're staying?"

"I am, yes."

Malo still looked unsure, but Anhui smiled. "When I saw that bracelet, I figured. Well, if you're stayin', might as well get used to us. Our parents let us wander in the city because we're keen on bein' huntresses someday, so you'll see us a lot!"

Lightning folded her arms. "Do you _nag_ the hunters?"

"Uh–" Anhui blinked. "Maybe…"

"Yes," Malo said flatly.

For the first time since she'd arrived, Lightning almost grinned. "Then you're keeping busy. That's good. Idle hands are never a good thing. That said," she added, dropping her arms again, "I'm pretty hungry. You?"

"Just sitting down," Anhui said. "Wanna join us?"

Lightning nodded. "Sure."

The three of them approached the counter and waited patiently for the cooks to finish up an order. Lightning leaned closer to the menu propped on the counter, trying to read it. Her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the darkness yet, so it was a little hard for her to read whatever was printed on it.

"How old are you two?" she asked.

Anhui beamed. "I'm fifteen," she said. "Malo is eleven."

"Eleven and a _half_," the girl corrected, folding her arms and trying to look fierce. "Get it right!"

Again Lightning scrutinized the menu. "Do you mind me staying?"

"Nah," Anhui said, shrugging one shoulder. "You're kinda cool and awkward."

"And funny," Malo said with a giggle.

The prospect of great, noble, legendary warrior Lightning being considered "awkward" or "funny" was pretty odd to her. "Alright then," she muttered.

Anhui leaned on the counter, picking up the menu. Lightning gritted her teeth. "Ever been to this place before?"

"No," the woman said.

"Try this." Anhui held the menu up and pointed to an item.

Unfortunately, the menu was written in the Pulse alphabet, which was unfamiliar to her. While she could recognize numbers and certain letters for their similarities to Cocoon's alphabet, the language as a whole was alien. Mentally shrugging, she decided to trust her new acquaintances and followed the girl's advice.

A few minutes later, the three were seated around a table. Lightning found two kabobs of juicy, grilled meat drizzled with a spicy fruit sauce on a bed of vegetables on her plate. The beverage was sticky and blue, icy cold to the touch and very sweet. It had a flowery scent, but a pineapple sort of taste with a spiciness resembling ginger. Lightning decided it was really weird, but good.

The girls each had grilled meat with a fruit and vegetable salad with the same juice she had. They ate slowly; she realized how fast she was eating when they stared at her.

"Uh, you okay?" Malo asked.

Lightning plucked a piece of meat off one of the kabobs with her teeth and chewed more slowly. Despite being a bit warm, she still wanted to devour the plate whole. Each time a piece of food hit her palate, a pleasure center in her brain lit up. Had she really gone that long without eating food?

Well, yeah, actually, she had.

"Fine," she said after swallowing. She returned the now-empty kabob to the plate, picking up a vegetable. "Just really hungry."

The girls exchanged looks. "We can see that," Anhui muttered.

Lightning forced herself to not eat anything more once she polished off the vegetable. Giving her stomach a chance to come down off its high, she leaned back to relax a bit. "You come here often?"

"Sometimes," Anhui said, nodding. "It's a hangout for our age group, families–"

A quiet commotion grabbed their attention; they looked up as one to see a group of hunters, sans their weapons, approaching the restaurant. There were about a half-dozen of them, including Caius walking at the head of it, though sideways as he spoke to those behind him. A tall man with brown hair and one with black hair and icy blue eyes also walked behind him. The other three were unfamiliar as well, including a bright-eyed, very tall man who laughed and joked with his companion.

"And frequented by the hunters," Anhui said.

Detecting a dreamy note in her tone, Lightning cocked an eyebrow and looked at her.

The hunters sat down at one of the larger tables, then had a brief verbal brawl where they argued over who would take the orders to the counter. Finally, the brunet stood and scribbled on a piece of paper, then walked away with an expression of annoyance on his face to do it for them. Caius sat where Lightning could easily see his face; he glanced her direction and caught her eye. She noticed the sudden curiosity their violet depths, tapping her fingertips on the table, wondering whether to speak to him.

As she picked thoughtfully at her food, the girls finished their meals. They eyed her a moment, which she was aware of, but she said nothing. Anhui scooped up her sister's plate and stacked it atop her own.

"We can't be out all day," Anhui said. "You gonna be alright?"

Lightning glanced at Caius again. His expression was perfectly even, but the curiosity was still there. "Yeah," she said. "I'll be fine."

The girls nodded and carried the plates back to the counter, where they were taken by a cook. The brown-haired man greeted them, patting Malo's head when she looked up at him with a big smile. Before they left, both girls waved goodbye to her; she had enough time to smile and nod back at them before Caius sat down across from her. At the next table, the hunters quieted; Lightning sighed.

"Caius," she said by way of greeting. "Talk."

He blinked at her. "Hmm?"

"Talk. Spill. Whatever. You got a million questions rolling around in that head of yours. What's on your mind?"

He folded his hands on the table. "It's an interesting coincidence, meeting you here."

_Yeah, it's weird_. "I was hungry."

"I saw that."

Pause. "Alright, famished. What's your point?"

Instead of answering, he smirked and lifted an eyebrow very slightly. All her hairs stood up. Conditioned to expect a furious beatdown from him, since that smirk was normally a prelude to another war, they reacted on their own, as did the rest of her body. It was a struggle to bring it under control, and a greater struggle not to react badly.

When he still didn't respond, she wondered if he was just being a jerk. "What?"

The smirk lingered, but lost some of its bite. "Claire," he said, "I'm not threatening you, and I'm no enemy of yours that I'm aware of." Finally, the smirk faded. "So, Yeul allowed you to stay?"

She touched the bracelet. "Yeah."

"I know Miyoki said it was none of our business," he said, "but I feel the need to try: why did you come here?"

One eyebrow twitched. "I… needed to get away from home a while."

"Why?"

"That's for _me_ to know, Caius. Deal with it."

"Again with the bitter tongue," he said, dropping his arms to a folded position on the table. "Fine, I won't pry if it's such an issue. Will you be here long?"

She breathed deep. "Yes."

"You sound anxious."

Was she? Flexing her fingers, she scrubbed an index fingertip on the table, looking down at it. Yeul had told her the army wasn't coming soon, so just how long would she have to wait? How much time did she have to get on friendly terms with this man? How long would it take for her to get over her bitterness with him and stop wanting to let some sort of hatred up through the cracks in her surface?

"Maybe I am," she said. "So what?"

"Claire, honestly, what have I ever done to you?"

Lightning hesitated, meeting his eyes. This wasn't the same man. He was younger and had none of the burdens she had seen in Valhalla. Why _was_ she overreacting to his presence? Was he going to hurt her, or was she just so used to expecting him do that… well, she _expected_ him to?

"I'm…" She breathed deep, then exhaled her anger at last. "I'm sorry, Caius. Really. Things have been a little weird lately and I…" Groaning softly, she rubbed a hand across her face. "You're absolutely right. You don't deserve any of this. Forgive me."

The fingers of both his hands interlaced on the table as he continued to gaze at her. "Alright," he said with a nod, "I do. You still must prove yourself on the group hunt. We will be going out to the Steppe."

Lightning thought this over. "Alright."

He nodded. "Before you can go on any major hunts or start getting commissions for your catches, you'll have to prove you can actually perform. You get paid per pound of meat you bring in," he explained at her puzzled expression, "so the bigger your catch, the more lucrative your pay. The biggest ones bring in some impressive bounties. The next group hunt is in five days, but I and two others will be going on a patrol tomorrow morning. You can take along then."

"Alright," she said. "When and where?"

"The plaza in front of the ravine entrance. Be there by sunup, which is–" He looked off to the side, then back at her with a sly curve to his lips. "–five."

She mentally rolled her eyes. The Guardian Corps had a habit of dragging people out of bed at four. Five would be like sleeping in. "I can handle it."

"I'll expect no less from you than I do from those born and raised here," he told her. She gazed back at him without wavering. "I'm difficult to impress. You'll have to do _very_ well. _Exceptionally_ well."

She leaned over closer, made sure she had his gaze, and said, "I will."

He leaned toward her. "We'll see."

The two of them continued staring at each other, gazes locked, for a good ten seconds or so in a subconscious contest of wills. After a bit, she saw a vaguely impressed expression cross his face as one eyebrow went up, ever so slightly. She gave him a haughty smirk; the corner of his lips twitched in response. Finally, he stood; she did the same, still gazing calmly back at him.

There was something disarming about his demeanor, some human element that had been missing all the times she'd met him face to face before. As she gazed at him, examining his features, she saw that the weight he'd carried was missing and the lines of his face were softer, as though he frowned less often. The face still belonged to her rival, the man who'd tried to kill her so many times, but she could get used to it.

"If that's all…"

She snapped out of her trancelike study. "Uh, y– yeah, that's all. Should probably get going now."

He nodded, turning away but looking over his shoulder at her. "See you at five."

"It's a date."

He nodded again before returning to the table with all the other hunters. While Lightning couldn't hear what one of them said, she guessed it was some sort of teasing because Caius suddenly looked embarrassed and gave the one who'd spoken, the brown-haired one, a very severe look. This immediately cracked the rest of them up, filling the place with laughter. Caius sat down heavily and pointedly ignored them until the stopped. One of the others gave her a curious look she returned with flat disinterest; he smirked.

As she made sure everything was cleaned up, and after thanking the cook, she glanced at Caius again to find him looking at her. They gazed at each other, Caius still with unabashed curiosity, Lightning still trying to cope with the understanding that this man wasn't the same one she'd known.

Then she nodded and left the restaurant.

At the top of the staircase, Serah discovered she was back in the throne room where she and Noel had ended up the first few times they'd tumbled into this strange place. With nothing between her and the vast, black emptiness of the great void, she suddenly felt very small and very scared. If Noel were here, she would feel better, but she hadn't been able to find him, nor any sign of him. It worried her.

Before walking toward the small, feminine shape with its back to her – another Yeul, she gathered – she decided to try shouting one more time.

"Noel!" But her voice just escaped into the void, not even tinny, no echo, nothing at all.

With no response, she continued on to Yeul.

"So," she murmured once she was within earshot, "what era are _you_ from? My future? Past?" She moved closer, glancing around at the ruins. Rocks and trees tumbled in the void, carried by some stream of energy or wind she couldn't see or feel, ever silent. The stars were as bright as ever.

"I am the one who lives in all ages."

Serah blinked, looking back at the girl. "What?"

"I die in all ages, and suffer countless partings, again and again." The girl looked sidelong at her, green eyes fixed on the woman's blue ones. "Do you know where you are, and what this place is?"

"It's the Void Beyond," the woman said. "That's all."

"Here," the girl continued, "you can see all your heart's desires come true. Here, the dreams of men are washed ashore and come into corporeal form. What you dream, whatever you can imagine or conjure in your mind, you may touch, feel, taste, hear, see, here, in the endless mold. Alter the fabric of spacetime as you please. It will be as real to you as your own body is now."

Serah walked toward the throne, stooping slightly to look down. One of the staircase landings was visible below, but beyond that, only starry darkness. She swallowed the bile that involuntarily came to her throat and stepped back again, unnerved by the emptiness. Was this what Valhalla felt like? Noel had told her it was a vast emptiness, the only inhabitant being Caius himself. Was it like this? Was it worse?

"Why do you continue your journey and stand in his way?"

Startled, Serah pivoted in place. "I–"

"Every step you take brings you closer to your death and the end of time. Did I not tell you time is fractured and in flux, and the future is deeply uncertain?"

Serah sidestepped away from the throne as Yeul came uncomfortably close. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up in unison. "But I ca–"

"But now," the girl said, gazing up at her unblinkingly, "your journey ends here. Sleep in silence for eternity, safe from the world's end."

Serah fidgeted and dropped into a battle stance, suddenly aware of a second presence. The girl faded into wisps of darkness, the tendrils darting off into the great void. Something scuffed the stone behind her; she whirled, hopping back at the same time, lifting her golden bowsword and setting an arrow. Before her, very black against the blue-white hue of the throne, was Caius.

"I don't understand," she said, taking careful aim. If he held still half a second, she could hit him.

He scoffed at her. "You needn't."

Her hands shook, but she steadied herself and released the arrow of energy. Somehow, he dodged it, and it struck the throne, dissipating into the air. She set another arrow, but had to roll to the side to avoid a swing of his massive sword just overhead. Tumbling and kicking, she rolled to her feet, quickly switching the bow out for the sword and bringing it up, halting his second strike.

Wordlessly, he forced it aside and sent out a blaze of energy at her feet; she hopped over it, only to get hit in the face with a graviton burst that sent her flying. Tumbling to the edge of the stone, she stopped just in time and hauled herself away from the edge. With a ferocious war cry, she launched herself at him, blade to blade, raining sparks into the shadowy recesses of the ruins.

Caius looked surprised, eyebrows up, as she forced his sword back with her whole body. In her travels, her legs had gotten thicker and her arms stronger; now she showed off that newfound strength coupled with her l'Cie-like powers to finally make him stumble.

"Stop ignoring me!" she shouted. "What's going _on_? Where's Noel?"

He righted himself; she switched the sword to the bow and fired an arrow infused with cold energy. It blasted him in the chest, just above his heart, sending him back, hard, into a pillar. A chill settled over her: if she kept this up, she might just make him angry, and if she made him angry, she was done for. At this rate, however, she couldn't afford to stop fighting.

Before he was on his feet proper, she fired a series of cold arrows that shattered on impact, flinging shards of ice as they sparkled through the air. He grunted, leaping to his feet, and blasted her away with fire, launching her into the air. Flailing like a fish out of water, she managed to twist and land, hard, on her feet. She toppled forward, narrowly keeping from doing a faceplant.

"Let's try again," she said. "Where." She readied a blazing arrow. "Is." She pulled it back to her ear. "_Noel_!"

And fired.

It struck him in the center of his chest, again above his heart, lighting his armor on fire. Transforming the bow into a sword again, she came up, raining down a flurry of fierce blows he narrowly deflected. At the same time, he used his free hand to slap out the flames before catching the front of her outfit, stopping her cold.

Suspended in midair, she grasped his forearm and bit down.

He immediately dropped her, recoiling. There were bite marks around the joint of his thumb now, one of which had broken the skin. She spit out the blood, wiped her mouth, and stabbed at him. He stepped back, trying to regain the upper hand, but she was smaller, quicker, had the element of surprise and used it now, finally unleashing a burst of arrows that flung him back into the ruins, where he fell to his side and lay very still.

Serah collapsed to her knees, watching him. He wasn't breathing, eyes closed, body totally immobile. It seemed as though she'd either knocked him out or killed him.

Remembering the fight in Oerba, she backpedaled, readying her bow.

Sure enough, a bit later, he suddenly came back to life, eyes abruptly opening and staring directly at her. The element of surprise was gone, though, and he simply blasted her away, looking extremely annoyed. Her already sore and hurting body landed back-first against a pillar; she slumped to the stone, trying to catch her breath. If he'd been playing with her before, he certainly wasn't now.

"I'm impressed," he told her, standing up and looking normal again, while she lay with her bruised and battered body screaming at her not to move. "Noel gave up _far_ more quickly than you have."

"Where is he?" she demanded, somehow crawling to her feet.

Caius looked at her carefully. "He sleeps, never to wake, in a dreamscape where he knows only joy. Accepting his defeat, he let himself be swept away…"

Bristling, she forced herself to aim an arrow, suddenly glad for her improved endurance. Three years ago, one punch in the stomach would have laid her out. "I don't believe you! I know Noel, and he would _never_ give into you!"

"I know him well, and I tell you…" He curled the fingers of one hand into a fist. "…he _did_!"

She sidestepped the blast, getting singed but little worse, expecting him to attack her. Slapping at some flames on her clothing, she shook herself, body pleading for rest. Caius was up on the throne now, sitting there like he owned it, one leg propped up, staring down at her.

"Why are you _doing_ this?" she asked of him. "Why do you want to kill everyone?"

"To save _her_."

A cold, horrible realization passed over her. "Wh– you… You'll destroy time, _just_ to save Yeul?" It was disturbing, it was cruel, it was immoral, and it was evil.

Caius slipped off the throne, landing in front of her, towering over her. "Each time the future changes," he said, "the seeress must see it, and her life is cut short. What was a miracle to all of you on the Day of Ragnarok was a sentence of death for Yeul. So often have I seen this…" He trailed off, gazing down at one hand with the fingers splayed. She saw the hurt, centuries of hopelessness, so much affection, and felt the twist of a knife in her gut. "Century after century, those who gave birth to her were forced to surrender her to the will of the people and the goddess." He looked into her eyes; she saw something raw in their depths. "I have protected her, watched over her, been there for every birth and witnessed every death, and I can do _nothing_ to stop either one!"

Serah understood. "She's like your daughter." _And you, her adopted father_. "You love her like one."

"And I will end her suffering!" The evil-looking blade of his came off his back, coated in ancient dust, scratched with countless battle marks, and hovered in front of her nose. "The foundations of history will crumble. I _will_ finish my goal. You have been a thorn in my side for too long, and now that meddling is _over_."

Serah wondered what it would be like to die.

_Should I accept my fate with dignity_?

"I will destroy Etro and build another Valhalla where this world once stood," he continued. "Without time, without life, or death, Yeul shall _finally_ be free!" He smirked at her, and pulled the blade back, past his shoulder. Serah, wide-eyed, waited for death.

The blade approached.

And stopped.

The rosehaired woman blinked, staring at the blade so close to her face. Confused, she lifted her head, mouth open slightly at her murderer's expression. His eyes were unfocused, a thousand-yard stare in them, and he was gazing at her, but also through her, into her, beyond her. The blade continued to hover. Only the steady expansion and contraction of his chest told her time hadn't stopped flowing.

Serah leaned back, away from the blade. The expression on his face changed to one of shock, of dismay, of sudden realization. Still his eyes were unfocused.

She scooted back.

An eternity and a half later, he blinked away the glaze, eyes refocusing. Blinking again, he looked at her, and this time his gaze wasn't so harsh.

"You're her sister."

Bewildered beyond belief, Serah stared at him, heart pounding her ears. She dare not risk breaking whatever trance had come over him, but this was more befuddling than any action he had performed to this point. Meeting his gaze, she tried to understand. Of course she was Lightning's sister, but didn't he already know that? He must have at least overheard her telling Noel about her sister, or gazed through time to see her…

"Caius…?" she tried.

Slowly, he withdrew the blade and replaced it on his back. Confusion settled over his features, the thousand-yard stare returning for an instant. Instead of responding, he backed away and turned his back to her. In a flicker of purple light, he vanished.

Serah, sore, with bruised knees, climbed to her feet, staring at the spot where he'd gone, more confused than ever.


	5. No Waiting for Late Risers

_Again, sorry about the long delay. I had to almost completely rewrite this chapter and I didn't have the motivation to do it for a while. Enjoy!_

* * *

**No Waiting for Late Risers**

Lightning hauled herself out of bed in a panic, noting the sunrise outside her window. Running her fingers through her hair, throwing her clothes on, and locking her door hurriedly, she was still groggy even when she finally reached the plaza near the city entrance.

Caius was already there, well-rested and bright-eyed, and gave her a smirk as she approached. Ignoring it, she looked around instead. There were two others, both in hunter's garb, with them this morning. One was a young man, the brunet hunter from yesterday who had taken everyone's orders at the restaurant. The other was a young woman with sunburned shoulders and brown hair with blonde highlights. Part of it was drawn back in small braids that dangled behind her ears. Both of them were looking curiously at Lightning, who felt out of place amongst these tall, bronze-skinned, sunburned outdoorsmen.

"And here I thought you would not make it," Caius said, still smirking.

_Oh, shut up_. "Guess I was, uh, more tired than I…" A yawn caught her by surprise; she struggled to suppress it at first but, when it fought back, she let it go. Caius continued to smirk at her, now looking very amused. Would it be a violation of her Focus to crack him in the teeth? "I was _way_ more tired than I thought."

Finally, he stopped smirking. "You will get used to the schedule."

The other woman caught her eye. "What've you got to hunt with?" she asked.

Lightning reached into a satchel hanging off her hip, where she had discovered her survival knife – the same one her sister had given her for her twenty-first birthday – the previous evening. She flicked it open. Even in the shadows, the blade had a neatly polished sheen to it.

Caius glanced at it. "You can't be serious," he muttered, sounding vaguely annoyed.

Lightning sighed. "Yeah."

The other woman moved closer and looked down at it. "Well, if you're plannin' on tussling with a four-legged beastie and an iron shell with a toothpick that'll snap first chance it gets – have fun," she said, reaching down to pat two blades, one longer than the other, hanging below her hip. They resembled Noel's swords, which made sense as this was the same culture he came from, if far older.

"What's your point?"

The woman unsheathed the blades and held them out. Both were about eight inches in length with teeth on the flat side when collapsed. Their grips were shaped so that the woman could reverse them and strike with any number of combinations. "Don't think it'll do."

Lightning didn't notice her fingers tightening on her knife until the grip squeaked. Caius reached out with one hand and lowered theirs in turn.

"Enough. Janya, let her discover these things for herself."

The woman – Janya – glanced at her, but there was no hostility, just a lack of conviction. "Whatever you say."

Lightning put the knife away. "Where're we going?"

Caius, apparently the leader of the group, pointed off in a westerly direction. "We will go up onto the mesa and check the fields," he said. "Janya's group already checked the valleys last night, so we need t go up to the Steppe and see if anything has bothered our section."

This bit told Lightning that the expansive Archelyte Steppe appeared to be split between the various nations that had taken up residence on its borders. In her time, she had explored only the upper portion, but there were enormous vistas located below that went on for miles across rolling plains and beautiful mountains. How many other nations were there besides Paddra, Haerii, and Oerba around here?

"Claire," Caius said, drawing her gaze, "this is a patrol, not so much a 'hunt', so we will be moving quickly. Can you keep up with us and handle the rough terrain? It isn't as pleasant as the Faultwarrens."

She recognized his tone as a challenge. "I can handle it, big guy."

He looked pleased. "I hope you can."

Folding her arms and cocking her head, she said, "Just don't send me on any suicide runs. Don't feel like having my short life flash before my eyes or anything."

He gazed back at her in silence.

The other hunter, a tallish and stout-looking man with a handsome, youthful face, shifted his weight and cleared his throat, drawing her attention. This close, Lightning realized he had dark blue eyes, with ruddy, tanned skin. "You're the new guy?"

Lightning bobbed her head. "What, am I just a shiny bobble or something?"

The man looked confused. "What?"

Janya prodded him with her elbow. "Cool new plaything."

"What– oh, no, just curious," he said with a shrug. "What's your name? Purple wonder over there–"

Caius gave him a look.

"–mentioned you, but not a name." He scratched his shoulder. "Well?" he prompted after a pause.

Lightning yawned. "Claire," she said.

"Claire. Rolls off the tongue nicely, yeah," he said, nodding. "Pretty face, pretty name."

Lightning noted his teasing tone and blinked calmly. Guys had made passes at her before: this really wasn't anything new. She could deal with it. "Thanks, I guess."

Caius gave the man a sidelong glance, and when their eyes met, the former quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, Yoteri, of the Hassa clan," the man introduced himself, placing a hand on his chest and giving her a quick bow. "You met my acquaintance over there, Janya…" He gestured at her; Caius looked bored, turning away. Lightning suppressed an amused half-smile. "…and our Noble Purple Wonder Caius himself, of the Jenhi clan. Renowned in Paddra. Feared in the Steppe." Yoteri raised both eyebrows and smiled a little. "Utterly unknown in the world," he finished, and laughed.

"Yoteri," the lead hunter said, sounding exasperated, "that's quite enough."

"The only thing that fears you are the–"

"_Yoteri_."

The man in question immediately clammed up. Lightning rather liked his attitude – whoever was brave enough to torment Caius was worth her time in her opinion. After all, in one of her time-gazing escapades, the crystallized Fang had told her Caius had been a famous and terrifying warrior by her time. How much of what she had heard was true, she didn't know, but Vanille had added he was "bad news".

Looking at him now, Lightning wondered where on Pulse these fearful tales had come from.

Caius drew everyone's attention by planting his spear in the turf, making an earthy _thump_ that seemed loud in the dawn silence. "If we're all finished," he said, "then let's be going. I wouldn't want any of our prey scampering off before we even sight them."

After quick nods of agreement, Caius collapsed the spear into a staff roughly the length of his forearm, then placed the shaft on his back with the blade facing out behind his shoulder. He led the way out of the city and into the pass, with the other three, herself included, bringing up the rear. Still tired but feeling the press of time on her shoulders, even if it was a while yet before the war, she picked up the pace to walk beside him, although his strides were longer and he easily outpaced her.

Lightning picked up her pace to stay at his side. "How far?"

He suddenly seemed to notice her presence. "To where? To the fields?"

She nodded.

"A few miles. We should be there by the time the sun is high." He glanced down at her. "How are you faring?"

Lightning took a moment for introspection. "Tired. Hot."

"It'll only get worse."

_Thanks for that_. "Any advice?"

"None. You will have to learn quickly, as the rest of us must from the time we are children." He looked away, not interested in continuing their conversation. Lightning decided that being uninteresting to him was better than being chased all over Valhalla with his sword always two inches from impaling her.

"I got it," she muttered, and fell back.

Halfway along the pass, Caius turned and began to climb straight up the side, using protruding roots, rocks, and chunks of moss as rungs. Yoteri followed right behind him; Janya followed. Lightning brought up the rear, hoping she wouldn't slip as she began to scale behind them. It appeared to be a more-or-less artificial path, though, since it seemed some pieces had been torn or chipped out by tools. Each "rung" of rock was quite solid beneath her feet; the only adversary was gravity. While the other three climbed swiftly, Lightning lagged a bit, more used to wandering around on flat ground than fighting with gravity, but she reached the top only a few seconds behind Janya and climbed out onto a broad mesa.

Struck by the beauty of the land around her, she stood slowly, brushing herself off. The mesa stretched off in all directions, covered with yellow-tinged green grass and patches of flowering bushes. Spindly trees jutted out of the soil with fresh green leaves. Puffballs floated through the air, some of them as big as her head. A well-worn path led across the mesa with the occasional game trail crossing it.

Caius reached out and stopped one of the puffballs, holding it delicately on his palm. "You know the drill," he said, using his other hand to secure the puffball.

Janya nodded and headed off toward a grove of trees while Yoteri walked down a game trail. A second later, he suddenly leapt forward, bringing his knife out from its sheath on his hip at the same time. Something squealed as he landed and quickly silenced. Looking pleased, he held up his catch: a fluffy brown mammal with large blue eyes, resembling a large cat with a long, whip-like tail.

"Good, we'll take it with us," Caius told him, nodding his approval.

Lightning looked at the puffball he still held even as Janya poked one that floated past her head. After a moment, he let it go; it floated across the mesa before catching an updraft and lifting into the sky. Lightning watched it go until it could no longer be seen in the sunrise gold of the morning.

"Sheep!" Yoteri shouted.

Caius and Lightning faced him to see him pointing at a group of grounded, puffy white clouds lazily tearing up mouthfuls of grass. At this, Lightning lifted an eyebrow while Caius smiled slightly and walked toward them. She followed and found a bunch of adorably fluffy black-faced sheep with scaly tails mewing and crowing as the four hunters got closer. Yoteri walked up to a large one that was entirely made of fluff. Bending over, he peered behind its ear – or where its ear most likely was; she couldn't really tell – and parted the wool. "This is one of ours," he said to Caius.

The other man searched another one of the animals. "This one, too."

Lightning said, "How can you tell?"

Caius waved her over. "See here?" he said, and parted the wool to the scaly skin underneath. A large blue mark like a tattoo could be seen, bright against the dark skin. "That means it's ours."

"Got four in a group here," Janya called out.

"See how many of ours you can find," he said. "Count them carefully."

Lightning nodded and moved away into the herd of sheep. They were quite docile, a couple of them mewing quietly as she parted the wool to search for the bright blue mark. They shambled about like great puffy lawnmowers, content to chew their cud and be examined by the pink-haired warrior, who admittedly felt a little silly. Sure, this was important, but still, it was weird.

As she did her work, her mind wandered. It dredged up an unpleasant memory – that of Serah keeled over in Noel's arms, body limp and lifeless. Was Serah alive again? Had she changed enough history just by coming here that her death had been somehow reversed, or at least averted? Or had that been a vision of the future, one that, due to Valhalla's haphazard timeline, hadn't yet occurred in the real world?

Pausing her work, Lightning looked around.

Walking around a few feet away was a yellow chocobo tearing up chunks of grass and swallowing. Closer to her was a bunch of flowers, little red blooms with cheery golden centers, bobbing in the hot, sticky breeze at her ankles. Cicadas buzzed in the trees while bees darted busily from bloom to bloom. Birds flew back and forth overhead as their morning songs started up with the rising sun. Crickets occasionally chirped. Amphisbaena flew overhead and across the Steppe on leathery wings. She inhaled the scent of fresh earth, clay, sun-warmed rock, minerals, greenery, and flowers. It was _beautiful_ here, unbelievably so, and she momentarily forgot her work in favor of the landscape around her.

Its alien beauty brought back a few more memories.

The beach in Cocoon at sunset. The fireworks display. Watching twelve-year-old Serah bend her head and clasp her hands, sending a silent wish on a brilliant green blast only days after their mother died. Struggling to control her overprotective side as Serah told her about wanting to go to the University at Eden after graduating from high school, choosing the flowering garden outside their home to tell her. The girl coming home with stars in her eyes to tell her about Snow. Serah crystallizing in front of her. All the running and desperation and frustration that resulted as did something, _anything_, to make it all go away…

Hearing the truth about the incident at Euride, and being dragged into a personal war.

Sighing, she bent down to pluck a red flower and twirled it between her fingers. She remembered the Faultwarrens in full bloom, thick with flowers bigger than her head and hung heavy with vines and color. The scent had been similar, though the air was cooler and drier. She could still remember her awe at the land's wild beauty, entranced by its colors but trying not to show that she, the stoic warrior, was enthralled by the simple incredibleness of the wilds around her.

Getting back to her work, she found a few more of Paddra's sheep before coming across ones marked with other colors. Yoteri stood in the shade of a tree talking to Janya; Caius headed toward them in his usual businesslike manner; Lighting followed.

"How many did you find?" Caius asked the three of them.

"Seven," Yoteri said.

"Twelve in three groups of four," Janya put in.

"Nine," Lightning said.

Caius frowned. "I found six." He looked concerned, glancing over his shoulder. "Thirty-four sheep out of forty-six as we counted two days ago. Either someone caught ours by accident, or something came and ate them," he murmured, folding his arms. Pause. "Any tracks?"

"Some reptilian prints," Janya told him. "Looked like a faeryl to me."

"The faeryl came back?" Caius went from concerned to severe – a much more familiar look to Lightning – as he peered directly at the other woman. "We chased it off a few weeks ago and even brought in some creatures to help protect the herd, yet it _still_ took twelve of them?"

Lightning remembered the big yellow birds walking around. They were there to protect the herd, then.

Caius's skin glistened with sweat in the steadily-increasing morning heat as the sun continued to rise. She noticed that his headband kept both his hair and sweat out of his eyes, directing it more to the sides of his face. Janya and Yoteri were also sweating, though not as profusely as she did. Her shoulders were starting to hurt, the skin getting hot to the touch. Though the sun was just rising, the air was already hot.

"This is not a good thing," Caius said, frowning harder. "We need those sheep – they provide meat and wool for us and goods for us to trade. Without them…" He trailed off and sighed. "I know each of you already understand their importance. I suppose I'm just… reiterating."

Yoteri nodded. The catlike creature was strapped to his back now. "It's alright."

"Faeryls are bad news," Janya muttered.

"Indeed," Caius murmured.

Lightning looked between the three of them. If she remembered correctly, a faeryl was a dragon-like beast, rather large in size, with huge wings and leathery skin. Serah and Noel faced one over by the Farseer settlement sometime in the future. Formidable, it was, but she figured that the four of them in the openness of the mesa could probably take it down if it came to that.

"We will need to kill it," he added.

And, sure enough, it _was_ going to come to that.

"It comes during the night, most likely," he continued. "We will come back later during the night to take care of it decisively. Before we go back, however, double-check to make sure it is indeed thirty-four and that we didn't miss any. Remember to check the rocks and the pond in the cleft – they like it in there. Claire, you come with me," he added, turning away. She did as he asked.

While Janya and Yoteri walked across the mesa to poke around in the rocks, Caius led the way deeper inland, away from the Steppe, toward places where it looked as though quakes had pushed great slabs of bedrock out of the ground to create strange formations glittering in the sun. Bushes and scraggly trees grew around some of them, but located in the shade within a narrow cleft formed by two large formations was a pool of water, rippling despite the breeze not being strong enough to stir it that much.

"Ah." Caius pointed to a medium-sized sheep with a much smaller one lapping at the pool's edge. "Check them."

Lightning circled around to do so. "Ours."

"That makes thirty-six, good," he said, sounding relieved.

Lightning took a deep breath, smelling minerals and wet clay. "Is this a spring?" she asked him.

"It is."

Fascinated, she crouched at the edge of the pool and bent to smell the water. It reeked of minerals, but in a sweet sort of way. She reached down and splashed some of it on herself to cool her skin. Caius did the same, smoothing it down the exposed skin of his arms and fingers. Then he stood and walked out of the shade; Lightning wiped her brow and followed to find him standing and looking across the plain in silence.

"Would you be willing to help us kill it?"

Lightning walked up beside him. "The faeryl? Yes."

"Depending on how big it is," he said, "it can fetch good prices on the open market for its meat, hide, ivory, bones, and fluids. It can also be used for trade when that season comes. You, of course, would receive part of the profit from the creature if you help us kill it."

"You bet I will."

"Good." He looked down at her.

She looked back at him for a few moments. "Are we still all going on the group hunt?"

"We are, once this is taken care of."

"I can understand that."

"We will come back tonight," he added. "The sooner, the better. We cannot afford to keep losing our livestock, and what if it comes after the chocobos? They are also too valuable. Take the time to rest up, and–" Here, he laid a hand on the spear collapsed at his back. "–try to find a weapon suitable for fighting a faeryl. You may want to spend the rest of the day in bed otherwise, asleep. They can be fearsome creatures."

"Are you worried about the tenderfoot newcomer?"

He smirked. "Only if she slows us down."

Her fist found her hip and planted itself there – a more-or-less reflexive stance that had become such a habit that she didn't think about it. Sometimes, her body seemed to act all on its own. "She won't," she assured him, "don't you worry. I'm tough enough to fight."

They returned to the others; Caius told them about the plan to return that night to confront the creature. The other two agreed; Lightning hoped she could find a weapon in time.

After checking and finding three more sheep, bringing the final tally up to thirty-nine, the foursome headed back down into the pass, returning home to rest.

* * *

One moment, Serah was wandering in the Void Beyond, looking for some way out of her "endless dream", and the next she was standing in a huge open field at dusk with a star-filled velveteen sky overhead. The moon hung up in the darkness, shining down pale silver light. A cold wind blew over her; goosebumps popped up all over her body, and she rubbed her arms to try and warm up. Beneath her feet, dry soil puffed into the air. Blinking, she looked all around, trying to figure out what was going on.

From what she could see from the pale moonlight, she was standing in what used to be a grove of trees, but was now just a grove of skeletons, inky black against the stars. The world was silent.

Serah looked around for the Void Beyond, but there was nothing. She still had her bow, and all her normal clothes were in place, but she was still alone. No sign of Noel.

Grumbling to herself and still confused about Caius's strange actions, she pushed her way out of the grove, breaking branches with noisy _cracks_ of rotting wood. Outside the grove, the world wasn't much better, bathed in a silver glow with the stars hovering silent in the sky. The silhouette of a windmill twirled lazily on the horizon, with another off to her right.

"Noel?" she called softly, sounding like an owl with how she drew out the word. "Hey, buddy, you around here somewhere?" Calling again, keeping her voice low, she squinted. The world seemed lifeless – was this where Noel came from?

Something moved, off to her left; she turned her head, squinting harder. Outlined in the moonlight was a humanoid figure, stooped over, with a much larger figure laid out on its side before him. With nothing else she could do, she jogged down the hill into the dusty valley, feeling somewhat claustrophobic. The strange, dead land around her disturbed her with its silence. There appeared to be no life at _all_.

Just as she got close enough to hear the figure trying to catch its breath, she had to stop, for another figure, this one much taller than her and definitely human, stalked into view from her right. Serah bit her lip to keep from gasping in shock: it was Caius, inky black in the darkness except where the moonlight shone on his armor, walking toward the stooping figure with quick, efficient steps.

The figure leaned against the creature on the ground, facing Caius. Only then did she notice that it was Noel, looking very pleased.

"See? See what a… what I can… what a hunter can…" The boy stooped again, hands on his knees, then held up a finger as Caius came closer. Taking the hint, the man halted; Noel panted a second longer before standing straight again. "A behemoth. Aren't you proud?"

"It must have been difficult for you to hunt," the man said. "Well done."

"Nah, easy. Too easy. Like, _boring_ easy."

Serah wondered who from earth to high heaven would think hunting a behemoth _alone_ would be _too easy_.

Caius's stance changed, becoming more rigid. Noel seemed to take notice, as the goofy smile he'd been wearing suddenly vanished and he straightened up even further. "What's, uh… what's wrong? And, uh… weren't you going to, I don't know, _wait_ for me? There's enough here for–"

"We are the only ones left."

Silence. "What?"

"You and I, and Yeul. We are the only ones."

"But… but Irma and Th–"

"They're gone."

Noel looked suddenly distraught. "_Both_ of them? It was the plague, wasn't it? It got 'em both…"

"Yes. The plague."

Noel looked at the ground, scuffing it with his toe. "Out of the whole world… it's just… us, now?"

Caius nodded.

"Well, at least there's me and Yeul. We're pretty close in age. I mean, we can–" He suddenly fell silent; Serah paced carefully around so that she could see both of their faces. Caius had on a severe look; Noel looked more worried about this than he could in a thousand years about any behemoth. "Caius, what aren't you telling–"

"You're ready to become the next Guardian."

"Wait, I thi–"

"You know the rules, Noel. This is what it's come down to. You slew a behemoth on your own. I cannot be much more difficult than so many angry teeth and claws." Caius had a slight teasing note to his voice, but the look on his face was strained. Serah felt cold all over. "If you can best me, you inherit the role for yourself. So it was with me and my own mentor long ago."

"Yeah, about him… Miyoki, right? What, uh, happened… to him?"

"I killed him."

Noel seemed to choke on his tongue. "What?"

"That is the law of Guardianship. There can only be one at any one time. He, or she, and an apprentice if one is needed. That is the rite of Guardianship. I earned my status here." Caius looked carefully at Noel, who seemed more confused and scared than ever. "Noel, if you want to succeed me, you _must_ kill me."

Serah rubbed her hands together.

"Do you not want to protect Yeul from her fate in this empty land?"

"What are you going on about _now_?" Noel sounded irritated. "What's this about, huh?"

"The Heart of Chaos is here in me," the older man told him, touching his chest with one hand. Beneath it, a reddish glow could be seen. "It is a manifestation of Etro. Should it stop beating with no one to claim it, she will die, and the world will turn to complete entropy."

Noel stuttered. "Wait, _what_ are–"

"Kill me and succeed me, or stay your hand. Which will it be?"

"I want to work _with_ you. Not _kill_ you."

Serah had about two seconds to catch Caius's look of despair before he vanished in a swirl of chaos. Noel's face crumpled; he stepped forward, looking around. Without a word, he charged off, running toward the horizon; Serah followed close behind. By now, it was apparent neither of them could see her, so she could just follow along for a while until he woke up.

If he ever did.

Before long, they reached a ruinous settlement clasped in deathly silence. Caius was standing in a plaza, the moonlight falling across his shoulders but leaving his eyes in shadow. Noel slowed as he approached, looking wary, as Caius was now holding his sword in a reverse grip, the convoluted blade silhouetted by his shoulder against the stars.

Noel stopped. "Not this again. I'm not killing you. No matter how many times you ask!"

"And why not?"

Noel folded his arms. "Today's Yeul's birthday. I want to protect her along_side_ you, not kill you and take your place altogether. I want to take her, _and_ you, and find other people. There _must_ be more people somewhere in this world, maybe beyond the horizon. They can't have _all_–"

"That is a foolish hope. You know that." The blade still hovered by his shoulder, shining in the moonlight.

Noel looked distraught. "But she's so lonely," he murmured. "She shouldn't have to keep living here where it's just me and her. I mean, maybe we can start a new life, but it's so– so _empty_ here." He groaned in frustration and turned his back to Caius. "There must be _something_ we can do…"

"There is. Kill me."

Noel whirled on him. "Stop asking me to do that. I _will not_ kill you, ever."

"Then you will be made to."

In a lightning-fast movement that Serah almost didn't catch, Caius lifted the sword and swung it out, reversing his grip in the process, bowling Noel right off his feet. As soon as he hit the ground, though, Noel tucked and rolled with it, drawing his two blades and bringing them up. Dust swirled around them, sparkling in the moonlight and partly obscuring them both. Immediately, they traded blows, but Caius was the faster and stronger of the two, not needing to use any of his special power, raw strength winning out quickly. Noel did his best, cutting hard and moving fast, but Caius punched him in the chest, caught his shirt as he started to fall, and suspended him in midair, where the boy clawed desperately at his forearm.

Then, wordlessly, he let go, and Noel landed hard, wheezing as he clutched at his chest. Caius said nothing, staring at him. His hair obscured the moonlight, plunging his face into shadow except for the faint gleam of moonshine in his eyes off the dirt.

"You're too weak," Caius said at last, spitefully, turning away.

Noel struggled just to draw breath. "I don't get it," he wheezed between pained breaths. "What's… _wrong_ with you, huh?" His face was also in shadow except for moonlight on his cheekbones, the one place dirt and hair didn't obscure his skin. "Killing the past, and– and–" Crawling up to his knees, he choked on dust, forcing his breathing to slow. "Think that'll make Yeul happy, huh?"

"I don't want to make her _happy_," Caius told him bitterly. "I want to do what's _best_ for her."

Noel managed to straighten himself up for a moment, but his back gave out, and he slumped again, barely able to lift his head. Caius had his back turned; Serah saw his expression, as cold and dead as the land around them. "Nobody wants you _dead_. Only _you_ do."

Something passed over the man's features, and for a moment his eyes glazed, just like they had in the Void Beyond not so long ago. He looked over his shoulder at Noel; she saw his eyebrows knit together a moment, lips parting, as his expression completely changed. Noel missed it, head bowed, breathing finally coming under control but still wheezing slightly.

"I know," Caius said, but his expression didn't quite match the deadpan delivery.

Noel looked up. "_What_?"

The man said nothing more, but looked as though he wanted to, lips twitching as he looked back at the ground. A moment later, he turned away, strides much more clipped this time, and winked out of existence. Noel stared after him, wheezing quietly, while Serah blinked at the wisps of chaos left behind, openmouthed.

Then she heard a soft, feminine sound, and saw Yeul for the first time.

"_Yeul_!" Noel climbed to his feet, swaying slightly. "What– how did you– how much did you _see_?"

The girl gazed at him. "Everything."

Serah felt cold again.

Noel started to speak, but the girl stared past him, directly at Serah, in her eyes a thousand-yard stare, before they closed and she stumbled back. Noel was right there, catching her, holding her close as he knelt on the dirt; Serah moved closer, wishing Noel could see her.

"Yeul? Yeul, no, don't do– don't _do_ this," he begged of her, clasping one of her hands in his. "What's–"

She whispered something; Serah strained to hear it.

"What'd you say?"

She smiled at him. "Don't worry. Everything will soon be set right." And her eyes closed, body going limp forever.


	6. The Village

_**The Village**_

Serah stared at the back of Noel's head, struggling to suppress the pity in her heart. None of this was real, of course, or else Noel would be able to see her and Caius would've at least _noticed_ her. The only hole in that idea, though, was that the girl _had_ seen her. She _knew_ she had. But if this was hundreds of years in her future, how could Yeul have actually, _truly_ seen her?

Noel finished his mourning, picking the girl's lifeless body off the dirt and walking into the settlement. In the pale moonlight as the celestial body tracked across the sky, Serah saw stones, chunks of wood, spots where the ground had been disturbed, lining the pathway. Two fresh graves had been dug and patted down, marked with tree branches stuck in the ground. Noel laid the girl on the ground and proceeded to dig a third grave beside the others with his bare hands, which didn't take long because the soil was so weak and dead. Once it was deep enough, he placed her in it and pushed the dirt over her. Tugging a rock from the ground, he placed it at the head and just stood there a bit with his head hung in silence.

Then he stood and began walking off toward the horizon. His breathing was still a bit labored, and he clutched at his chest with one hand absently.

Serah stammered a moment. "Noel! Can't you hear me at _all_?" she pleaded, but he just kept going.

Slow and steady, he walked on into the night.

Serah hurried after him, keeping pace, trying to speak to him. At one point, she reached out, but her hand passed right through him. Was she actually dead, or was Noel just removed from the normal flow of time? After a good half hour of trying to get him to hear her, she gave up, walking beside him in silence.

"Noel, I'm so sorry," she murmured, hands clasped behind her back. She bowed her head. "This is… this is my fault, isn't it? All of it. If I hadn't agreed to go… if I'd let _Lightning_ go …" Trailing off, she chewed on her lip, thinking about her sister. If Lightning hadn't had a knee injury flaring up sometimes (but getting better), she would have gone instead. At least, that was what she could remember – some of the events surrounding her leaving the seaside town of New Bodhum to travel with Noel were very hazy, some were crystal clear, while others just didn't match up at all. "I'm sorry, Noel. I'll set it right."

She fingered her bow, sliding a hand down the enameled surface where it gleamed in the moonlight. _Twang_ went the string when she absently plucked it.

Then, thinking, she halted, letting Noel walk on. She slid it off her shoulder.

"Noel Kreiss," she muttered, "I'll give it one last shot."

He kept walking; she hurried up to stand in front of him again, readying her bow by grasping it in both hands like a baseball bat. He walked right through her; she turned, hefting the bow over her shoulder. For a moment, she paused, checking her aim.

"If this works," she said, "please forgive me."

And so she swung, hard and fast, not really _expecting_ it to work so much as _hoping_ it would.

_Crack_. Noel yelped and toppled to the dirt.

"_Oh_!" Serah froze in place, mouth open in shock and shame. "Noel, oh, I'm– sorry! I didn't–"

On the ground, he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "_Hello_," he said, sounding extremely surprised. Pushing himself up to his hands and knees, he looked left and right and up and down, finally glancing over his shoulder. His eyes met hers. "Who're you?"

Serah glared at him. "What, you don't recognize me? Come _on_, Noel! It's me! _Serah_!"

Blink, blink. "…Serah?"

"_Yes_!"

Noel looked at his hand, then her, then back at his hand, then at her again. "Ow?" he said.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's cool. Just another normal day for me. Where–" He looked all around and winced when his head moved too fast, touching it again. "Where _are_ we?"

"You were dreaming," Serah murmured. "I woke you up."

Noel scowled. "That's right… I got stabbed when we were separated. I'll bet Alyssa–" Smashing his fist into his palm, he gritted his teeth. "Well, we can deal with her later. Right now, we gotta get out of here."

She frowned. "How?"

"Well, it kind of looks like the _actual_ land I came from," he murmured, looking around. "I mean, maybe I was just hallucinating, or maybe we _both_ woke up. So there might be a gate around…" Blink. "…y'know, somewhere…"

Serah groaned softly. "It's too far to _walk_ anywhere."

"Let's try the settlement first."

As they started walking off again, she gradually sensed growing concern from Noel, permeating the air around them both. Finally, she spoke up, unable to handle the tension. "Noel," she said, "what's bothering you?"

He shook his head. "Well… it's…"

"What?"

He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Yeul… died because she had a vision, when Caius left," he said quietly. "I know– Serah, you've been having visions too."

Silence. "So?"

"Every time you have a vision, you die a little."

Serah blinked, caught off guard by this statement. "Are you say– am I going to die?"

"_No_, you didn't see as much as she did. You've still got time. But as we change the future, you get a little closer to death. So the sooner we get this done, the more likely you get to live. But that's not– you see… that's not the only thing bugging me."

Grateful for the change of subject, she touched his arm. "Then what is?"

Stopping, he grasped her shoulders, gently but pointedly. "I just, uh–" he began. A second later, the mist cleared from his eyes, and whatever he'd wanted to say was gone. "Look, my memories? They're getting _worse_, not any clearer. They were clearing at one time, now they're not. It's like… something's not adding up. But what really gets me is what Yeul said. When she said… _everything_ will be 'set right'."

Serah frowned. "Yeah, I remember her saying that. I just don't know what she meant. Does that mean that we're going to succeed?"

Noel hesitated. "I… don't think so. I mean, were– were you standing behind me? When she said that?"

"Yeah."

"She was looking at you, even though you weren't actually, y'know, _there_. Something's not–" Then he just stopped talking, leading them deeper into the Farseer settlement in silence. There was only the sound of their footsteps on the dirt and their breathing. Sometime later, they happened upon a distortion, and without looking back at the dead vista behind them, exited back into the void between universes.

Lightning returned to her hotel room to sleep for a few hours. In the early afternoon, her hunger woke her up, so she got out of bed to explore the city and look for a meal. As she reentered the plaza, she came across a couple of the hunters – including the tall, blue-eyed man who never smiled – and some midday shoppers, but in general the place was pretty deserted.

With nothing better to do for the rest of the afternoon, Lightning decided to entertain herself by wandering around, exploring what would eventually become crumbling, overgrown ruins.

In the center of the plaza her hotel sat on the edge of was a fountain carved out of stone with a stone fish spouting water into a silver basin. There were very few people out as it approached the hottest part of the day, so Lightning took the opportunity to sit on the fountain a moment and stir the water with one hand. Despite the heat, the water was very cool, so she splashed a bit of it on herself to cool her shoulders.

She took a few moments to gaze up at the sky, noting the golden haze from the sunlight on the humidity. Once the heat started to get to her again, she got up and kept walking. As she did, her knee, which she had nearly forgotten about, began to ache, reminding her of the crippling, half-healed injury she'd sustained.

An injury given to her by Caius, the man she was supposed to protect.

Tucked away past the pillared plaza of Vercingetorix and down a pathway lined with budding bushes was an open-air market with cloth strung across the streets to block the sun. A few people were milling about, going from shop to shop, while a couple children, too young for school, stayed close to their mother. Next to a produce stand (stacked with the yellow mango-orange fruits she'd seen her first day here) was a building made of granite with a bush of large yellow flowers beside its entryway. As she got closer to examine the sign, trying to puzzle out the language, she absently touched one of the flowers. It bounced, pollen-soaked centers dancing about, and she abandoned her typically stoic attitude for a half-smile, surprised and enthused by the flowers' simple beauty. She touched it again, and a puff of pollen blew into the air. A fat bumblebee with bright yellow stripes appeared and promptly stuffed its head into the flower; Lightning grinned.

The sign was unreadable to her, written entirely in the Pulse alphabet, so she decided to take a chance and go inside instead of lingering.

Once her eyes adjusted, she realized she was inside a small shop with various weapon on the walls and in polished glass cases. The floor was hardwood. A small man with wiry arms sat behind a counter, bent over something in front of him, and he looked up when she entered. He greeted her before going back to his work.

Lightning paused. "A weapons shop?" she murmured.

"Hmm?" The man looked up again, frowning. "That's what the sign says, yes?"

She felt sheepish, but didn't show it. "You build weapons yourself?" she asked, walking over to the counter to look at what he was doing. His smallish, deft fingers were taking pieces of metal and wood and fitting them all together like a jigsaw puzzle with a speed she envied. Intrigued, she leaned over the counter a bit. Her presence made him stop and look at her again. "Ah," she grunted, stepping back, "sorry."

His eyes quickly roved over her. "Need something?"

Lightning touched her survival knife in its pack. "A weapon. Got a big hunt tonight – we're going up against a faeryl, and I need something that'll–" That will what? As far as she knew, gunblades wouldn't come into existence for another few hundred years, and there weren't any traditional swords – or anything much resembling them – on the walls around her. What she saw were beautifully crafted spears, staffs, bows, arrows, short swords, knives, and jointed objects as long as her forearm.

What did she need?

"A faeryl? You'll need something to pierce the hide." He squinted at her. "You're a warrioress, huh?"

She absently touched her feathers. "I'm allowed to st–"

"That's not what I asked, but whatever." The man didn't seem short-tempered so much as just thinking a lot faster than she was, as his face was more neutral than anything else. Humming to himself, he stood up and looked her over, more obviously this time. "Get some different clothes. That won't protect you. Got biting insects and stinging insects and the sun burnin' you up. Oh, and nettles and thistles and– the next-door store will have something, so go ask them, maybe. I can get you a good faeryl-fightin' weapon. Sound good?"

Lightning blinked, trying to keep up. "Sure."

"So, what? Good with bows?"

"Never used one."

"What _have_ you used?"

"A gunb–" She stopped herself, cleared her throat, and said, "A collapsible sword, really."

"Oh, like _that_?" Pointing to a jointed object on the wall, he snapped his fingers when she didn't look as fast as he liked. "Those all look too big or too sm– wait, wait, let me just–"

Before she knew it, he was in front of her and holding her wrist in both hands, clasping the joint, squeezing her forearm bones, then squeezing her upper arm and tapping her shoulder. Not sure what he was doing, she almost pulled away until she saw the deep concentration on his face. Whatever he was doing, he seemed to know exactly what he was looking for.

"Strong bones, good wrist, good muscle, kinda thin, kinda lean, kinda–" He let go and stepped back. "Here, show me your usual stance."

She blinked.

"Pretend you're holding one of your swords. Go on. Show me. One hand, two hands?"

Lightning did as she was told, feeling very awkward, bending her knees slightly with her feet apart and left arm up across her chest in her usual battle stance. Her right arm she held down with the elbow at an angle, hand formed around the imaginary grip of her gunblade. Holding position, she eyed the man as he circled around her, prodding her back and pushing on her legs with his foot. The longer she held that position, the worse her knee felt, growing more and more sore by the second

"So, what you used was heavy, but you did it one-handed," he said, returning to stand in front of her and waving a hand. She relaxed her stance. "Estimated weight?"

Lightning thought a moment, then told him a quick ballpark answer.

He repeated the finger and stroked his chin with one hand, looking very thoughtful. "I don't have anything in that range, but I can dismantle an order than got canceled and add to it. Prefer metal? Y'know, metal with a wooden stock and a ridged grip? Maybe a little somthin' to keep your hand steady? Weighted so it won't go flying away, thin and strong edge–"

She suspected he wasn't actually talking to _her_ anymore. "Whatever you think is best. You're the expert. I'm just the soldier."

At this, he brightened, giving her a quick half-smile. "That's right," he said. "Well, if you trust my judgment, I can have something for you by tomorrow evening. It'll be, oh–" He gave her a cost; Lightning felt the blood drain out of her face and gritted her teeth.

"Until we bag the faeryl, I don't have that much," she admitted.

"Well, then–" Holding up a finger, he went back to his counter and pulled a sheet of paper from a drawer. "You can drop a down payment. I work with up-and-coming hunters pretty often, so in return, _I_ hold ownership of the weapon, you rack up a little interest, and I keep this." Reaching into the drawer again, he pulled out a small object resembling a toothed gear. It was about the size of two thumbnails held together.

Lightning noted his mischievous expression. Something told her this was a _very_ important component, and until she paid in full, well…

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a few small pieces of gil and dropped them on the counter. The man took the gil, counted it, and placed it into his pocket.

"I'm satisfied." The gear joined the gil. "I'll start working on it in a bit. Come around in the late evening to pick it up. All I've got to do is rebuild the stock, pull a couple components, alter the weight, change the balance, pick a color – you mind some muted greens? That's what I'm working with, but I can change it. Oh, and polish up the metal and set the–"

Lightning held a finger to her lips, shutting him up at last. "I trust you," she said, nodding. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

After a moment, the man shrugged, then returned to the counter and his work. The shop became silent again; she hung around a little longer to see if he would say anything more, but he was once more wrapped up in his task, so she quietly left the shop.

The golden haze had dimmed somewhat, though the heat lingered and the humidity had fallen but a notch. The flowers were closing up and the insects were getting busier. More people appeared on the streets and children began to join their ranks. The smell of cooking meat and something sticky-sweet came to her nostrils, a smell she was careful to inhale deeply as she silently counted what remained of the gil in her pocket. If she was counting right, she had just enough for one more night at the hotel and a little left over from that. She stopped to make sure of her count before continuing on, perusing the bazaar. The open-air-market qualities became more obvious as more people filed in, reminding her of a warmer, more humid, less advanced Palumpolum.

Stopping in front of a fruit stand, she became rather engrossed in studying the wares, openly fascinated by what she saw.

"Hey, you!"

Lightning jumped a little, looking around in a moment's panic. Two girls stood at her side, smiling up at her, and after a second she realized they were the sisters, Malo and Anhui. Despite her growing exhaustion and the soreness in her leg, she smiled at them. They were friendly faces in a foreign land.

"Hey, girls," she said. "How goes it?"

Anhui shrugged, tweaking her chin with her thumb. "Just got out of school and looking for some stuff to take home," she admitted, cocking an eyebrow. "You?"

Lightning glanced at the fruit, clicked her tongue, and moved on. The girls followed her like ducklings. "Dropped an order at the weapon shop. Looking for some food."

They walked in silence for a moment. "You know," Anhui piped up, "we don't know your name."

Lightning realized she'd never introduced herself. "Claire," she said.

The girls repeated the name. Malo looked bright-eyed and half-smiled. Anhui smiled, saying "I like that name, it rolls off the tongue nicely, even if it's a little weird. But that's Haerii." She looked sidelong at Lightning with a smirk. "You know, you're kind of pretty. Some poor fool's gonna fall hard for you."

_That's the last thing I need_. "Great."

"Don't want that, huh?"

"I'd like to keep my independence for now, thank you."

The girl shrugged one shoulder. "It's your prerogative, of course, and I can't blame you. Anyway, what are you up to? Can't mooch off Yeul forever. Or stay in a hotel. You've got to get payment and your own place sometime."

"I'm going after a faeryl tomorrow night."

Anhui stopped; Malo halted beside her. "What, _alone_?"

Lightning stifled a chuckle, settling for rolling her eyes instead. "No, not alone. Never alone. I'm going with Caius and a couple others."

The girls exchanged glances. "Faeryl-hunting, huh?" Anhui said, and winced, sucking air through her teeth. "Have fun with that."

"Caius is pretty good with his… what is that, a spear?" Malo stared into the distance, chewing her lip. "Well, he's good with it. If anyone can take care of his hunters–"

"It's definitely Caius," Anhui finished.

Lightning wished she shared the girls' familiarity with and ease about the darkhaired warrior. Perhaps, with time, she would, but for now, no.

As the trio continued wandering, Lightning began to wince; the aching and soreness gave way to genuine pain in her knee, shooting up and down her leg. When she paused to rest, it subsided, but when she took a few more steps, it flared up again, chastising her for walking so much. She stopped again.

The girls did, too. "Claire?" Malo said.

Lightning bit her lip, pinching off some of the veins, and patted her thigh above her knee. "I wrecked my knee pretty recently," she admitted. "It's hurting."

"How?"

Unbidden, memories came back, of fighting with Caius, getting beat down harshly by him, and him wrenching her knee so hard that she simply couldn't walk on it. When the new clothing had appeared on her body, her injuries had been healed enough to let her engage in life in comfort, but it seemed the long, somewhat rough hunting patrol from the morning had been too hard on her. She was beginning to hurt all over, though most of the pain was localized to her leg rather than elsewhere.

Noticing that the girls were staring at her, she looked at them in turn, shrugging. "I got in a fight." That was the truth, anyway.

"You really should have it taken care of," Anhui said. There was a hint of concern in her voice. "How much good will you be if, y'know, the faeryl _wrecks it_?"

Lightning hadn't thought of that, but was somehow unconcerned. It wasn't like she'd never fought or marched with even worse injuries than this. "I'll be fine," she said, fist in her hip. "I managed to do a lot on it before it started to hurt again, so a little rest will help it feel better. Don't worry, you two," she added when they continued to look like they were. "Besides, you just met me."

Anhui folded her arms. "You're kind of funny, all awkward in our culture and your eating habits left an impression."

Lightning felt herself blush a tiny bit. She supposed that _would_ leave an impression. "Funny, huh?"

Malo giggled. "Yeah." She became serious again. "Please have it looked at?"

"If it causes a problem."

"Not _if_, Claire," Anhui said very firmly. "I'm thinking like a hunter, which is what I want to be. If I were Caius and going up against something that fierce, I'd want you to have it looked at. If it gets injured, you'd be deadweight and no good to anyone. You might even be _eaten_. What _then_?"

Surprised by the girl's directness, Lightning lifted both eyebrows. "Then… I'll just have to deal with it."

"Claire–" Anhui sighed. "Maybe I'll make a bad hunter."

"No. Sounds like you've got the right idea."

The girls exchanged looks again, and Anhui glared at her, but her expression was one of defeat. "Fine. I guess we can just agree you're stubborn and you'll need to be badly hurt before you'll finally get it."

Lightning looked to her right to see grilling meat. "Okay."

Anhui looked at the meat. "Still hungry?"

"Quite."

The girl sighed. "Get more rest before you go tonight."

Lightning shook her head, even as they gave her goodbye waves and marched off into the city. Once they were gone, she bought some of the meat with a plump pink fruit with a pit full of seeds and sat down nearby to try and get it down slowly. It took her some time to finish it, and by then the sun was beginning to sink behind the cliffs all around the city. The sky still glowed with its golden haze.

Once she was done, she started back toward the hotel, but hesitated when she spotted Caius walking the opposite direction, talking to the blue-eyed man she'd seen several times now. Although she suspected this was none of her business, she decided to interrupt anyway.

"Caius!"

The man held up a hand to silence his companion and looked at her. "Yes, Claire?"

"I meant to ask," she said as she approached, "when exactly should I meet all of you for the hunt?"

"About an hour after sunset."

Nodding, she looked at the blue-eyed man. "Who's this?"

"Ah." Caius dipped his chin at her. "My apologies. This is Nomin. Nomin, this is Claire. She is from Haerii and will become one of our fellow hunters."

The blue-eyed man nodded to her, saying, "Welcome to our home."

There was something odd about his voice – the emotionless tone of it bothered her a little. Did he not approve of her or was that just the way he was? Either way, as she looked him over, she figured he was a powerful man if his broad shoulders and lean-muscled frame were any indication. The word that best described him was "willowy".

"I'll see you then, Caius," she said, looking at him.

He nodded, his features refreshingly relaxed compared to Nomin's more serious look. "I look forward to it."

Lightning watched him go with inquisitive eyes.

She headed back to the hotel, peeling off her clothes, washing them, and leaving them to air dry. While she waited, she climbed into bed and elevated her knee, placing a cool rag on it for the swelling, and fell asleep within minutes in that position.

Beneath a dusky sky stretched a vast, dusty landscape with twisted, leafless trees and not a drop of water in sight, the horizon a burnt umber line against a swiftly-darkening twilight sky. The wind blew cold and lifeless over the dirt and bare rock. The sun had sunk just below the horizon, now spreading a cheerfully contrasting golden glow in the west, while fresh stars twinkled in the east.

This was the world that greeted the two travelers as they stumbled out of the distortion. Serah, in her jean shorts and black sleeveless shirt, immediately began to shiver in the cold. Noel, used to the temperature variations of this dead future land, only rubbed his arms.

In silence, they surveyed the landscape before them.

Serah scuffed her toe in the dirt, squinting into the shifting gloom. The ruins of buildings lining a cliff and a few piles of rubble brought to mind a vaguely familiar sensation, and coupled with the topography, she soon realized they were in her village, hundreds of years in the future, without the crystallized Cocoon on its pillar and no signs of life whatsoever.

"It's New Bodhum." Perhaps because of the unnerving silence, she felt the need to whisper. "I know it."

Noel nodded. "Thought so."

Together, they worked their way down, having to climb now that there was no more ramp made of wood to walk down. Aiding each other when the cliff became treacherous, they finally made it onto the beach – or, rather, what _had_ been the beach. Where the sea had once pounded the shore, now there were only miles of dried coral with the bleached white shells and bones of sea creatures sitting on the tidal shelves. Unnerved by the sight, Serah stood transfixed, gazing at the horizon.

As she stood there, she slowly became aware of a warm, humid breeze blowing over her, stirring her hair, and the sheen of the sun glittering on the ocean. Soon she found herself gazing over the ocean at sunset, with no one on the beach but her and her sister, silently watching the sun go down.

Serah glanced sidelong at Lightning, who had a thoughtful expression on her face, eyes soft, both hands on her hips.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

Lightning shifted her weight, giving her a quick glance and a smile. "Yeah," she murmured. "It's fine."

"I wish you'd tell me what's going on."

"One thing at a time, promise."

"Serah? Serah!"

Snapping out of her trance, she pivoted in place to find Noel staring at her, one hand clasping her wrist. She blinked at him, suddenly puzzled. "Uh, Noel?" she murmured, frowning. "Problem?"

"What're you doing?"

"Talking to my sister."

"Serah," he murmured, "if you have any more of these visions, I… I just don't–" Frowning, he let go of her and rubbed his neck. "Lightning's safe, back home in New Bodhum, where she's supposed to be. Don't worry, she's not within a thousand miles or a hundred years of here. Remember?"

"Oh." Serah frowned at the spot where the vision had placed Lightning. Why did it seem s hard to get it in her head that Lightning was home? Conflicting memories – one of the emptiness of Valhalla with Lightning fighting against Caius in endless struggle and one of her sitting contentedly on the beach with her knees drawn up as she looked over the sea – clashed inside her in a desperate war. Neither one ever won out for long. Sighing, she rubbed one eye with the heel of her palm. "Right. Of course."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She stopped rubbing long enough to give him a you-worry-way-too-much look with her other eye. "_Yes_, silly, I'm perfectly fine. No headaches, no weird stuff. It wasn't exactly a vision. It felt like something else, almost like I was reliving a memory."

Noel placed both hands on his waist. "A memory? Of what?"

Serah opened her mouth, then hesitated, thinking hard. Of what, indeed. "I'm not sure. I think I'm trying to get her to talk about something, but… I don't know what. Maybe when she was guilt-tripping about me. I mean, we never _did_ resolve that issue. I don't know." She shrugged, palms up in a defeated expression. "Look, that's beside the point anyway. We need to get out of here. This is all dead."

Noel nodded. "Let's find an artifact first, then we can worry about locating a gate."

They blinked at each other.

"There's no gates," Serah said flatly, and Noel sighed, bobbing his head in agreement. "Even finding an artifact won't help. This isn't a dream world, so no distortions. Everything's so _quiet_," she mumbled, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill. "And so _dead_. Even with–"

Something slipped away from her then, some memory or image that had been important but no longer was, and as she made a desperate grab for it, it taunted her by lingering a moment, then shot off into the darkness. A piece of her had suddenly vanished; she fell within herself for a moment, probing her memories and her heart, searching for any clues as to what it could have been.

"Are we forgetting something?"

The darkhaired man in question chewed his lip for a moment, glancing around the dead landscape. The unbroken, starry sky continued to twinkle and glitter high overhead, unaffected by the duo's turmoil. As they stood in silence, deep in thought, Serah grew aware of a change in the wind, the pattern shifting and the temperature rising just a little bit, before she dismissed that detail as well.

"It's the same sensation I had in Academia," he admitted, voice just above a whisper.

Serah's eyes were drawn to a dimly-lit, spherical object in the sky, its shape horribly eroded but still recognizable: the crystallized Cocoon, glittering in the starlight, the rays of dying sunlight dancing on its familiar shape. She had an odd sensation upon gazing at it, just for a second, before that, too, slipped away, and she was left staring at it in wonder.

"Hundreds of years, and it's still standing," she murmured.

Noel twisted to look over his shoulder at Cocoon. There was a brief look of confusion on his features before it faded as quickly as hers had. "Amazing, huh?"

She folded an arm across her chest and propped her chin on one hand. "I wonder if Vanille and Fang are still in there. How much they've seen by now, huh? Hundreds of years of a changing landscape, and all sorts of other things – wars, hunts, deaths, births…"

"Can you imagine living for hundreds of years like that?"

Serah thought of Caius and shivered. "We aren't meant to."

Noel apparently thought of Caius, as well, because he said, "No, we're not. We're just… not."

They stood side-by-side in silence, gazing at Cocoon. Serah had the strangest sensation of never wanting to look away from the great crystal sphere on its pillar, feeling something else flit away and forgetting it a half-second later as she continued to stare. Finally, when she could finally find the strength, she tore her gaze away and looked around the desolate village. "We need to get out of here," she said, suddenly feeling that nagging need.

Noel, however, did not immediately respond.

"Noel?"

Again, he did not immediately respond, but he did turn his head to look at her. "What?"

"Let's get out of here. We need to find a gate, or else we might…"

He finished for her. "We might get trapped here."

She winced. "Yeah."

They gazed at each other a moment, before a pinpoint of light flared up near the ruins of the pier. They glanced at the light together, moving closer, watching as it grew into the familiar golden glow of a distortion. When they stopped to think about their next move, Serah heard a very familiar, friendly, feminine voice.

"It's okay. Everything will be set right."

The evening brought coolness with it as humidity rolled off the mountaintops in the form of gray mist, sinking into the valleys, sparkling in the sunlight. Lightning took a few minutes as she waited for the others to show up to watch the shifting mists, sitting quietly on a bench with her new weapon across her knees. It was beautifully crafted with expert precision and skill, collapsing and unfolding with a flick of the wrist just as her gunblade had, with a razor-sharp edge and a saw blade on the reverse side. The man had refused to give her something to carry it in until she finished paying for the weapon, so she decided to carry it one-handed for the time being.

Caius showed up first, rubbing his neck, looking a bit groggy, flashing her a pleasantly surprised half-smile when he saw her sitting on the bench.

"You got here before me," he said.

She shrugged, one hand absently stroking her weapon. "Figured I wouldn't be the tenderfoot newbie this time," she told him.

He stretched both arms over his head; she heard his shoulders pop. "Nice sword."

"You like it?" She touched the weapon. "The guy at the weapon shop fabricated it for me starting this afternoon and finished it in only a few hours. Wouldn't let me have a sling 'til I finished paying."

He smiled again and shook his head a little in obvious amusement, then sat down on the bench an arm's length from her. "It's to be expected," he said, "yet I will be the first to say you got a good deal. You must have mentioned the hunt, yes? Faeryl tend to fetch a fine price on the open market, as I said."

Lightning wondered if she could afford her own place on the pay of one faeryl. "How much for the hide?"

"For three square feet and a high-quality animal, fifteen to seventeen thousand gil."

That answered that. "For three square _feet_?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "The business is a lucrative one. Downing a faeryl can be difficult, and keeping the hide unscarred is even trickier. The oils, fangs, claws, bones, and fluids can all be used for various applications, of course, but only the Farseers really know how to put them to good use. The other nations excel in different trades."

"Such as?"

"Tesrai runs the Mah'habara Subterra mines, and Oerba is fishing and harvesting. It depends on what sort of terrain they live on or near. Meanwhile, your nation of Haerii is good at collecting the rare dyes from the plants and animals in the Faultwarrens." He tilted his head, hand on his hip. "When trading season comes, these things, you will see."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "Should be interesting."

A few minutes later, Yoteri and Janya arrived in full hunting garb, eager to get moving. Caius led the way into the deepening twilight, moving swift and silent through the brush. Lightning started in the middle of the group, but as her knee began to hurt, she began to fall back until she was trailing behind the others.

Caius noticed after Yoteri called his attention to it, waving for a halt.

"Claire?" he queried.

Lightning paused, testing her leg. She could walk on it and move fairly well. The tendons were merely sore. As long as she didn't stress it, wrench it, or fall on it, she would be fine.

"My knee's bothering me," she said, "but I'll be okay."

Caius didn't look convinced. "Sure?"

"Sure enough."

"It's not good to fight with a busted knee," Janya put in.

"I know," Lightning told her, pointedly looking each hunter in the eye in turn. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

Despite her assurances, Caius gave her another minute to rest, then continued onward in a gentler pace, picking a less stressful path than the previous day. The moon began to rise even before the sun went down, so seeing their way wasn't a problem. Lightning was able to avoid pitfalls, underbrush, rocks, and fallen limbs without much issue, but the time came when they had to climb up to the mesa again and she had some trouble climbing. Each time she put pressure on her knee, it ached so badly that by the time she reached the top, it was screaming at her to _just stop already_ and give her some rest.

"Hold on," she said, stopping to catch her breath. "Just a second."

Janya grunted and Yoteri sighed, but Caius came up to her side and dropped to a crouch as she sat on the grass for a moment. While his expression told her he wasn't pleased with the hang-up, he said nothing of it, reaching down to lightly touch her knee where it was most obviously swollen. Against her skin, his felt cool, worrying her.

"It's warm," he said.

"Don't worry," she insisted. "I've had much worse."

He sighed. "Why did you not have it looked at or taken care of? There was plenty of time, unless you're so stubborn that the idea of having such a relatively minor injury tended to is not a pleasant thought?" When she said nothing, he stood again. "Can you still move if you need to?"

Lightning waited a second before answering to see if the pain subsided. When it did, she pushed herself to her feet and looked at him. "Yes," she said with a nod.

Caius nodded. "Good."

They continued on across the mesa, the softer turf doing wonders for Lightning's knee. The sheep were gone, the chocobos huddled together near a cleft in a rock formation, the sky empty except for a few amphisbaena and the stars. The sun was gone below the horizon, plunging Gran Pulse into darkness. The hunters stopped, looking around.

"It's not here," Yoteri murmured.

"No kidding, man," Janya grumbled, looking around wildly.

Caius held up a hand to silence further conversation before moving to stand beside a tree, crouching. He waved a hand, sending Yoteri and Janya imitating him by crouching near other trees; Lightning got the hint and did the same, but when she crouched, her knee sent out a sharp pain, making her grunt softly. The world was silent except for the usual night sounds – crickets, frogs, and predators crying in the distance.

"I don't see–" Yoteri began.

The beat of large, leathery wings interrupted him. Before Lightning had a chance to do anything more than look, a huge dragon-like beast dove out of the stars in a flash of inky darkness, wings snapping open at the last second to slow its descent. It then landed hard, lashing out at the nearest hunter who happened to be Janya, but she dove out of the way just in time to avoid its claws. It roared; Caius scrambled out of the shadow of the tree.

"Slash and burn!" he shouted.

The other two hunters reacted by running in opposite directions to form a pincer shape with Caius at the head of the beast. Lightning scrambled around behind it and narrowly avoided its tail. Flipping out her blade, she slashed out as the tail came at her again and nearly swept her off her feet. She hopped quickly but landed too hard, shocking her knee so bad she nearly fell on it.

"_Claire_!" Caius shouted. "Go for the wings!"

Lightning took the hint, falling into a battle stance and readying her blade. This was it, her chance to prove that she was worth keeping around, her chance to prove that she could be a help rather than a hindrance, her chance to find out just how well she could fit into this ancient world.

And it was a step toward preventing the nightmarish events of the future she had fought so hard to protect.

* * *

_Sorry. Couldn't resist the little Paradigm reference there._


	7. The Faeryl

_**The Faeryl**_

Just as she brought the sword up, the beast dove at her and knocked her off her feet, sending her tumbling.

Caius called her name; she used her momentum to flip over onto her feet, quickly standing. The blade came up again as the faeryl landed on the ground, large yellow eyes boring into her. Quickly, she assessed the creature and realized she had no idea what to do. Its protective outer shell was chinked, but she wasn't sure she was fast enough to be able to take advantage of that. Its eyes were mostly unprotected, but reaching them was a problem. Underlining all this was the steady throb of her knee.

"Okay then." The blade shivered in her grip. "So, what? What do I do?"

She heard someone run past her on her right while Caius jumped to avoid the faeryl. He landed in a crouch, but didn't stand up from it, instead bringing his spear out and holding it in both hands. The blade resembled Ragnarok, though significantly smaller and less beat-up. Had he constructed the sword out of pieces of other weapons? It would certainly explain the odd and impractical build only a superhuman could handle.

"I thought you were a warrior!" he shouted.

Lightning gritted her teeth. The faeryl barked at her, head snaking about, looking at her with first one eye and then the other. She recognized the behavior as that of a predator studying its prey.

"I never fought one of _these_!" she cried in exasperation.

"Think on your feet," Caius said. "Move on instinct."

_I can do that_. "You trust me?"

"No," he said, "but you wouldn't be alive if you couldn't do that!"

Lightning glanced at him, and he looked back at her. Blue eyes met violet ones, and in that instant a certain sort of understanding seemed to pass between them. She felt it like a bolt down her spine and a rush of adrenaline through her blood. This beast was like the caged monsters in the lower levels of the Gapra Whitewood or those crawling in the Sunleth Waterscape. She could do this.

The mesa didn't afford much in the way of using the geology to help them out. She had to be able to trap the beast somehow, but the only place she could think of was the cleft with the spring from earlier. If she could run it across the mesa to that point, she _might_ be able to fool it into squeezing in there and getting stuck. At that point, she could just find a weakness in its chinked armor and exploit it. It wouldn't be hard to kill then if it was panicking because it was stuck, especially if it could hardly move.

Unfortunately, it meant getting _very_ close to a lot of angry teeth and claws.

So, Lightning decided to do what she did best: throw herself into the mix and see what happened.

Her sudden movement, leaping to the right, triggered a response in the faeryl. It snapped its teeth and lunged for her, kicking up turf. She dodged the second snap of jaws, then slashed at its carapace. As expected, the blade bit in only a centimeter or two and bounced off, but it got the creature's attention, causing it to sling around and snap at her again. She blocked its teeth with her blade, but the force of the blow bowled her over. Coming down on her bad knee, she hissed as it protested with needles of pain.

Caius shouted her name, then turned his attention to the other two hunters, spouting orders. When Yoteri pounced on it from behind, ramming his sword into a chink, the faeryl screeched, then leapt into the sky. Blood spattered the rock; Yoteri dropped and rolled with the impact. Even still, he scrambled to his feet wincing, favoring one leg for a moment.

The faeryl swooped; Lightning ducked, favoring her right leg, and slashed at a chink. She missed, the beast dove again, and raked its claws into the turf, tearing up huge chunks of rock, grass, and clay. Lightning dodged the big pieces and ducked to reduce the impact of the smaller ones. When it ignored her then and slung around to go after Caius instead, lifting into the air, she picked up a rock.

"_Hey_!" she shouted, pitching the rock at its head. It struck and glanced off. "Over here! Over _here_, you!"

It roared and swooped, then squealed and hit the ground.

Caius, who had thrown his spear and embedded it into the chitin, hustled forward to grab it with both hands and rip it out, a look of deep concentration on his face. There was blood all over the spear now, but apparently not as much as he wanted from the look in his eyes.

"Claire, the wings!" Janya shouted. "_Go for the wings_!"

_And how do you expect me to do that_, was what she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue and focused on the huge bat-like wings instead, assessing them. They were armored along the appendages, but the webbing was more or less completely vulnerable. In fact, there were claws marks and tears in it already, just not in places where they could be a handicap.

When it landed again, it whirled and clawed at Caius, forcing him back.

Lightning wasn't going to stand for that. "Hey, hey, _hey_! Over here, you sonuva–" Flinging one of the larger stones, she managed to hit it on the head, where it _thumped_ off the bony crest above one eye. It growled and clawed its way toward her.

She waited until the last possible second, then tucked and rolled aside, bringing her sword up at the same time. It slashed into the webbing, ripping a nice hole in the skin. The creature squealed, pivoted, and slashed out with one claw. It tore her off her feet, where she hit and rolled onto her feet, favoring her knee again. She surveyed her handiwork with a smirk: the hole was long enough to tear the webbing all the way to the bottom, vastly reducing the wing's tensile strength.

"Now the other!" Caius shouted.

Yoteri yelled an acknowledgement and leapt into action. Lightning watched as the man sprang onto the beast's side and clawed his way up the armored shoulder. It was then that Lightning noticed that he had what seemed to be a collapsible crossbow on his back, a weapon that pulled double-duty as a sword considering it had a razor-sharp bayonet beneath the firing mechanism. The hunter lifted it off his back, balanced precariously, brought it up, and slashed out with one hand. The blade tore into the webbing; the faeryl roared in pain, head snapping around to try and bite him, but he dropped to the turf and hopped away.

Janya was there in an instant, slashing at a chink in the animal's armor, going for the tendons controlling the wing. Several strikes bounced off the armor, but finally she connected. Blood dripped out; the beast slashed at her, but she was too quick and scrambled out of reach.

"Now it's my turn," Lightning grumbled. She kicked the turf in her hurry to get to her feet, quickly backing off when the creature eyed her hungrily.

The faeryl barked, snapped its jaws in the air, and rushed toward her. She turned and bolted toward the bottleneck as fast as she could, sensing it getting closer. It crashed through the brush, trying and failing to fly, sending rocks flying and smashing vegetation.

The creature snapped at her, teeth _cracking_ together inches above her shoulder. Startled, she yelped, lost her footing, and went crashing to the turf, tumbling with what momentum she had. Though she came up on her feet again, it was getting harder to run. Ahead, she could see the cleft. It was only a short distance away now, maybe twenty seconds at a dead sprint.

She risked a glance over her shoulder, searching for the others. Janya and Yoteri were following behind Caius, who was literally only a few feet behind the faeryl's hind legs.

"Don't be foolish!" he shouted.

"Tryin' to trap it!" Stumbling over vegetation and fallen branches, she struggled to get moving again, finally able to hightail it again. Her knee protested; she gritted her teeth in pain. "Trust me!"

"_No_! Don't–!"

Something happened at last. In the twilight, Lightning missed her footing, causing her to stumble. Though she righted herself, it was too late: the faeryl lashed out, lightning-quick.

_Pop_ went her knee.

Crying out in sudden, intense pain, Lightning slid on her good knee, then landed too hard on her bad one. She hissed, suddenly angry, knuckles turning white where she now gripped her sword in both hands.

"_Claire_!"

The sword bit into the turf, then caught on a rock beneath the soil, stopping her. Forcing herself up, she rolled to avoid the creature's flailing claws. Janya and Yoteri pounced, getting its attention. Then she stood, and went right back down, leg no longer responding, sending her into the dirt again. The excruciating pain tore her right off her feet, again and again.

The pain just made her angrier, and she pushed herself to her feet, leg collapsing, but to her good knee. The faeryl reared back, pawing the air, trying to get Janya and Yoteri.

That was when she saw the weak spot: where the armor was chinked in shorter intervals along the beast's neck, and where the skin was exposed to allow blood to flow freely beneath it. In the dying light, it was hard to make out, but she saw it well enough.

"Caius! The throat!"

The darkhaired warrior stopped what he was doing. "It's too high!"

Lightning forced herself to stand, stumbling back but remaining on both feet. Her knee shivered violently, but she held her balance, sword held at the ready in a white-knuckle grip.

"I'll lead it!" _And earn my name_.

Caius objected, rather vehemently, but the snapping jaws of the faeryl shut him up, forcing him to hop back and drop to his knees to avoid the shining teeth. Lightning cracked her sword across the side of the faeryl's neck, getting its attention again, and once she had it, she took off again, hobbling but with decent speed. The faeryl barked and scrambled after her.

They ran, the faeryl attempting over and over to lift into the air, only getting a few feet before its ruined wings gave out and sent it crashing back down. At its back, the other three hacked at its armor in desperation, but eventually the beast forced them back with such ferocity that they had no choice but to go. Only Lightning was left now, sprinting and hobbling at the same time, not daring to look behind her. She dove into the cleft, praying the faeryl was stupid enough to follow her.

Suddenly, the creature squealed. She stopped on the far side of the cleft and turned. The faeryl was stuck, but the rock was beginning to crack around it. Rocks and bits of dirt went flying through the air.

The snapping teeth and hot breath were inches from her face.

"Alright, you." She turned the sword so the butt pointed at the ground and the tip at the sky. "_Eat this_!"

Trusting her instincts, she lunged blindly.

She felt her sword pierce something with a fleshy _smack_.

With a war cry she'd adopted from her many battles in Valhalla, she used her body as leverage, twisting and tearing a neat gash in the beast's throat along the chitin. Something hot dripped on her shoulder; she leapt back, slipping on the rocks and finally tumbling flat on her back.

The faeryl gave one last, gurgling roar, flopped about, squealed, and went silent, twitching.

Lightning just lay there a moment, panting, staring blankly into the air overhead. The hot liquid on her shoulder slid toward the earth; she curled her lip and rubbed it off onto the grass.

Then she blinked at the sky, and fell silent.

Overhead were countless stars, glittering like diamonds in the heavens, their brilliance growing with each passing second. She blinked, struck speechless by their beauty, suddenly realizing that, not so long ago, she'd never actually _seen_ the sky. No, the nighttime had been just glittering cities as Phoenix slept, and the daytime just artificial clouds randomly generated to _resemble_ reality. Seeing the stars, though she had seen them – somewhat – on her last journey through Pulse's wilds…

Lightning chewed her lip, unsure of what to do next, but finally sat up, rubbing her neck and wiping more of the faeryl's blood off her shoulder.

A fleshy _crunch_ followed by a very organic and somewhat sickening, juicy-sounding _thump_ came to her, and she squinted into the darkness. A humanoid shape waved an arm, pulled a spear out of the beast's carcass, and walked around the rocks. Starlight and moonlight fell across his shoulders; it was Caius, his familiar shape silhouetted against her impressive kill.

"Claire?" he said, not loudly. "Are you hurt?"

She groaned, rubbing her eye with the heel of her left hand. "My knee feels like it's revolting against my whole body," she admitted, "and my whole _body_ feels like it got beat by a two-by-four. But I'm fine. Just give me a second or two, will you?"

He collapsed his spear with a _snap_. "Need help?"

Growling softly to herself, she used her sword as leverage to climb to a crooked kneeling position. "Nah," she said, shrugging, "I'm good."

"Are you certain?"

"Caius, really. I didn't get to be a warrioress because I'm weak." She smirked at herself, then started to climb to her feet. To her knee's credit, it _did_ give her plenty of fair warning before refusing to hold her weight, sending her back to the turf. "Well, this is fun…"

"That was quite foolish of you."

Pause. "What?"

"Running off without telling us what you were doing. No good hunter does such a thing."

"Sorry. I'll try not to do it again."

He sighed. "I'm sure." He sounded unconvinced, and Lightning didn't blame him.

She stood, and collapsed again. A loud, annoyed groan escaped her. "Ugh, come _on_, you–" She let out a string of insults directed at her body, urging it to respond. It refused. Her knee felt like someone had ripped it in half. Just _thinking_ of standing was enough to make her hurt all over.

"I _can_ help you," he said.

She gritted her teeth and spoke through them. "No. Thank. You." Caius, _touching_ her? Getting within her _intimate_ personal space? The thought was horrifying. "I got this if you would just give me a chance."

Silence, then, "Fine."

Stabbing her sword into the turf again, she stood. Immediately, she went back down. "Uh, Caius?"

"Hmm?"

She hesitated, not wanting to say what was on her mind. Proud, independent, strong, Amazonian Lightning _did not_ like to be vulnerable, but, as she'd learned in her recent travels, refusing to ask for help when she needed it the most was equally dumb.

"I need help," she sighed.

He stood there a second before walking up to her. Not sure what to do, she waited until she saw him extend a hand.

"Come on," he said.

Lightning reached up, grasping his hand, suddenly nervous about the proximity. Too often had he used this distance to feint and knock her off her feet, only missing a killing blow when she put her ingenuity and agility to good use by blocking, reflecting, or dodging. When he closed his fingers around hers and pulled her up, she quickly forgot about that, instead worrying about keeping her balance.

Finally standing, she tested her knee, and it held her weight this time. "Thanks."

He released her, but didn't move away.

Lightning flexed her shoulders and tried to collapse her sword. It jammed. She scowled. "Clever," she muttered. "I use the thing and it doesn't work anymore. _That's_ what that gear was for…"

Shrugging, she took a step.

For a moment she was helpless as her leg gave up the ghost, sending her toppling into Caius's arms as he caught her, faster than she could blink, and steadied her. Once she stopped quivering from the pain, he wordlessly slung her left arm around his neck and encircled her waist with his arm, half-holding her against him. She grasped her weapon in her free hand, halfheartedly protesting.

"Don't be so proud," he told her. His voice was inches from her ear, making her blush. This was really wrecking her tough-girl image. Whether it was the lingering heat of the day or the blood absolutely drowning her cheeks, she didn't know, but she felt hot all of a sudden.

"Just get me out of here," she muttered. "I can make it back."

He clicked his tongue. "No, you're going all the way back with our help. Be content with that."

She gritted her teeth. "No, I'm _not_."

"You're in _no_ position to walk, as you demonstrated." His voice was utterly deadpan. "Have you never been helped like this before?"

She thought about that a moment. In Blitz Squadron, there had been a few instances where she'd needed the help of others when she was injured, and times where she'd had to help, too. Still, it'd been a long time, the last instance being a couple of years back or so.

"It's been a while."

She felt him tighten his grip on her waist for a moment. "It's alright. I won't let you come to harm."

"It's not that. It's just–"

She felt his hair brush her temple as he glanced at her. "What?"

"I… don't want anyone…"

To her surprise, when she trailed off, he laughed at her. She gawked at him, not able to understand why on Pulse he would be laughing. Had she said something funny?

"Such a thing is not shameful," he said, "but, I understand. You needn't worry."

Still upset at being laughed at, she fumed in silence.

He helped her back toward the others, moving with perfect balance, his strength never wavering even when she felt like she was going to fall over. Some distance away, they reached Janya and Yoteri, who stood a few feet apart and waited patiently. Lightning leaned against Caius, thankful for his solid body to support her, and looked between the man and woman.

"Mark the location," Caius told them. "Yoteri, take her weapon. It's not helping."

Lightning grunted; Yoteri hesitated.

"Claire," Caius berated her, momentarily squeezing her wrist, "don't be like that."

She handed Yoteri her sword, butt first.

Once it was secured, Caius said, "We'll start getting the pieces tomorrow. Make sure to pick someone who knows what they're doing. I don't want a repeat of the oretoise incident, you two." He looked at the hunters in turn; Yoteri looked away while Janya glanced at the sky. Lightning wondered what could have earned _that_ remark. "Janya, take point. Yoteri, the six."

Lightning felt even more self-conscious now they were with the others, but didn't get a whole lot of time to think about it before Caius started off again. The pace wasn't too brisk, and every so often he slowed so that she could regain her footing or have a little rest. She remained self-conscious, though, still not sure what to think of him with an arm around her waist. In training, they were told not to be self-conscious, because in these sorts of situations it didn't help to be, especially if they had an injury on or near a spot they would rather no one saw. Trying to recall that training, she fought her emotions.

Instead of heading back down the cliff, Caius continued to the left. They came to a point where the mesa was only a couple of feet above a rock formation in the valley below; Janya and Yoteri climbed down first. Caius went after them, stopping to help her down.

Feeling awkward, Lightning hesitated at the edge and looked down at him. "You sure?"

"I have good balance. You won't fall, I promise."

Hesitating a few more seconds, she finally gave in and lowered herself to the ground, slinging her legs over the edge to slide over. She felt his hands gently grasp her waist and felt a strange sensation – it tickled a little, since her midriff was bare, but it also felt oddly _pleasant_, perhaps because her skin was hot and his was cool. His hands did not linger as he helped her down, taking hers again to help her to the valley floor. Yoteri and Janya seemed to be enjoying the sight, but when she looked directly at them, they pretended to look at the sky.

She grunted once she was on the valley floor and had to sit on the ground to rest. Caius, ever the patient one, sat on the grass beside her.

"Thanks. For helping me," she muttered.

He glanced at her. A nighttime breeze, which had been barely noticeable in the valley, stirred his hair and the beads hanging from his headband. The two feathers woven into his hair behind his ear fluttered a little. "You are one of the hunters _and_ one of us," he reminded her. He tapped her bracelet with his index finger. "As long as Yeul says so, you will stay with us under our protection."

She gave a noncommittal hum. "You seem particularly insistent about following her," she said.

"It will be my future duty as a Guardian."

The ache in her knee began to fade; she made use of the time to ask a question that had been sitting on her mind for a long time. "Caius," she said, "what exactly _is_ a Guardian? I don't know that much."

"I'm not a Guardian yet."

"But you will be."

The starlight outlined a faint smirk, the shadows of his hair dancing across his lips. "They swear their fealty and all their power to the protection of the seer or seeress," he said. "When a person becomes a Guardian and is officially recognized by the seer, they are branded a l'Cie, either by the city's patron fal'Cie or another in the wilds."

Lightning thought a moment. "So, Miyoki…"

"Is currently a l'Cie," he finished, nodding. "He's been the current Guardian for several generations and has turned to crystal twice in the past. During his last crystallization, his apprentice Gorgyra was tasked to protect Yeul." He exhaled softly. "She… did not perform her duty so well."

Lightning remembered hearing of Gorgyra. "What happened?"

He shook his head. "Ask me again sometime."

She frowned, desperately curious, but decided to let it go for the time being. "And how long have you wanted to be a Guardian?" she asked, pushing herself up.

Caius again helped her, an arm around her waist, her arm around his neck. "The apprentice of a Guardian is chosen from the most capable people of Paddra. We have the option of refusing," he said, giving her a quick smile, "but it's a high honor. I felt as though I would be foolish to refuse, so when Miyoki asked me to be his new apprentice, I accepted."

They walked in silence for a bit. Lightning tried to think of more to say. "You sound so… I don't know, almost like it's nothing. Being a Guardian and a l'Cie, I mean."

"It's something I accepted long ago."

Her bitterness at her own fate as a tool wouldn't have that. "But as a l'Cie, you have three options – die, turn into a crystal statue, or become a monster."

"I know."

"And you're just… _okay_ with that?"

This time, his eyes were not kind. "As citizens of Pulse," he said, "it's always a possibility to be branded as tools of the fal'Cie. We've come to accept it. The only way to truly avoid becoming one is to simply never come into contact with a fal'Cie. Titan lives close to Haerii, doesn't he?" he added. "Is that not something you and your people take into account?"

Not sure how to respond, she only said, "It doesn't mean I like l'Cie. I pity anyone who becomes one."

He made a thoughtful sound.

They walked in silence again, heading back to the city and reaching it within a couple of hours. Lightning's thoughts were soon consumed as she pondered this new information. If all Guardians became l'Cie, then that meant she had no right to interfere with his branding or else she could _really_ cause a wreck. But if he became a l'Cie, then he would receive a Focus. If she prevented him from accomplishing that Focus, he could die and receive the Heart anyway, voiding her purpose in coming here. If he became a Cie'th, how was she to know he wouldn't get turned back and infused with the Heart anyway?

The only other option was to let him crystallize, but she wasn't sure if Etro wouldn't reverse _that_, too.

Was she caught in an irrevocable paradox after all?

Caius helped her across the city to a physician, one who worked late whenever there were night hunts, and laid her on the cot himself, ignoring her insistence that she could take care of herself just fine. The physician set to work, squeezing and fiddling with her knee, constantly asking what hurt, then giving her pungent herbs for the pain. They worked wonderfully, finally giving her some peace as it subsided. He wrapped her knee in gauze coated in herbal extracts, then packed it with ice, shutting off the nerves.

"You're in good hands," Caius assured her. "When you can be back on your feet again, I expect to see you back."

"She needs a couple of weeks," the physician said.

Caius lifted an eyebrow. "Ah. That bad, is it?"

The physician nodded and finished wrapping her leg. Lightning felt ridiculous – not only had Caius half-carried her all the way back to Paddra, but he'd personally laid her down on the cot and stuck around to see how she was. No doubt he was concerned for his warriors, but Lightning wondered if he didn't just want to keep an eye on the stranger for a while.

The physician checked her over for other injuries and cleaned the dried blood off her shoulder. "I promise I'll take good care of her." Looking at her, he continued, "You'll need to stay here. You strained the ligaments, overstressed the tendons, and popped the joint out of alignment, but if you keep it elevated and rest, it'll be healed in a couple of weeks." He held up a hand as she began to protest. "Don't worry, I provide my services free for the hunters."

"But I can't–"

"You're staying right here, huntress of Haerii, and that's that."

Groaning, she covered her face with both hands.

The physician left her in peace. Caius, however, lingered. "I will be back to check on you during the week," he told her. "Get plenty of rest. If you want to prove yourself, you must stay intact. I will give you your portion of the hunt in the morning so you may have your own place to stay once you are able. You will have to apply to receive any more commissions after that at the hunting office."

Lightning cocked her head. "Really? We need licenses?"

"No," he said, "you only need to be registered as a hunter in order to receive commissions. You can still be a hunter without registering, but you don't receive payment. It's an insurance policy, of sorts, for the rest of us."

She could understand that. "Makes sense." Pause. "Goodnight. And thanks again."

He smiled, slightly. "Of course."

After he left, she stretched out on her side, gazing out the window at the silent beauty of the stars, wondering how she ever missed them before. She fell asleep a few minutes later, lulled by the aroma of the herbs and the coolness of the slightly breezy nighttime air.

* * *

It was quiet in the Coliseum, devoid of any life but himself. Like the many times before where this had been the norm, Snow took the opportunity to pace around the arena. He had discovered that the architecture of the place was similar to that of Valhalla and much of it made little sense for biped ground-based beings save for the stairs. The pit surrounding the arena caught his interest this time; he walked along it in silence, gazing down, trying to see into the shadows.

"Artie," he muttered, "you never told me what this place _is_."

The Arbiter, who often lounged about just outside the Coliseum walls, answered, "Don't call me Artie."

"Whatever." Snow shivered and rubbed his arms. "Where _is_ everyone?"

"Back to the Rift, perhaps."

He shivered again, sensing a presence but seeing nothing. "Where's the Rift?"

"Just beyond these walls. It is everywhere and nowhere. It is the nexus of all worlds, all universes, all timelines, all possibilities. You know this already."

"Actually, I didn't."

The Arbiter fell silent for a time as Snow continued pacing. After a bit, he stopped again.

"Wish I had an Oracle Drive," he muttered.

"Hmm?"

"So I can see what's going on. Can't you– can't the timeline be a little more visible? I mean, my sister, she just _up and disappeared_! She's doing somethin' _important_, she wouldn't just– just– _leave_!" Frustrated, Snow turned and kicked the wall, hard enough to crack the stone. "But I can still _see_ her."

"As can I."

"Yeah? How?"

"You and I are no longer part of the timeline," the Arbiter responded. He faded into existence then, stopping across the arena and folding his arms. "It does not concern us."

Snow paced again. The fraying, fractured, convoluted image of the timeline in his head was getting worse, and it was getting hard to think.

"Can't we, dunno, project it somehow?"

The Arbiter stared at him a moment, heaved a sigh, and waved his staff in the air. Snow gawked in amazement as the air suddenly filled with images – a blurry image of Lightning being dragged away by chaos, Serah and Noel bounding along the timeline, their many duplicate images running in all directions, frayed timelines jutting off into nothingness, and Caius, sitting at the very end of it all on the doorstep of oblivion, the skin around his eyes tighter than normal and his lips drawn taut.

Snow blinked. "Uh, maybe that wasn't such a good idea…" Pause. "Why didn't you tell me you could do that?"

"You never asked, Villiers of Bodhum."

He thought a moment and realized that his mind was quiet now. He shrugged. "Never mind. Thanks, Artie ol' boy, guess I can appreciate it."

"It was no trouble." Pause. "And don't call me 'Artie'."

"Whatever."

The Arbiter grumbled something; Snow ignored him and walked forward amongst the images. They were essentially holograms. The montage continued unheeded; he walked with his hands in his pockets, wondering what to do now that he could see more clearly. After a bit, he walked to the image of Lightning being dragged away by chaos. The image seemed to be confused, as Lightning's outline had become muddled and the chaos had drastically reduced in size. Further down the timeline, he saw New Bodhum and the day he left to look for his fiancé's sister.

At this point, he stopped, confused.

Just a little past the point where he'd left, he saw Lightning, alive and well, on the beach at New Bodhum, with her sister sitting beside her. Yet, about halfway down the timeline, there was Serah, fighting with Noel against a fearsome Cie'th. Further down, Serah and Noel gazed at a sky void of Cocoon, yet a little further on the sky had a crystallized Cocoon towering against it.

Snow groaned and clasped his head with both hands. "This timey-wimey stuff hurts my head, man…"

"It can only get worse."

"Yeah, but what's going on? I mean, why is everything so… weird?"

The Arbiter walked closer to peer closely at the timeline. "Who can know?" he said. "Whatever the case, it will be interesting to watch it unfold, I think."

"Yeah." Snow lowered one hand. "Should be real fun."


	8. Lightning and Caius

_**Lightning and Caius**_

For the next week, Lightning was strictly forbidden from getting up except to take care of personal needs, and even then she had a nurse at her side to help her. Food was brought to her regularly. A publication telling of the city's news topics was also dropped at her side each morning. Still unable to read the Pulsian language, Lightning decided it was time to learn. Slowly, she developed an understanding of the letters, learning the same way a child learned to read – no translations, for one, just contextual understanding – and soon had a basic grasp of the concept. After all, she had little else to entertain her, and it kept her mind off the pain. The morning after she was brought in, Caius came and kept his word, dropping off her portion of the payment.

The morning after that, he came back to check on her. Lightning, although she wasn't quite sure how to deal with this man with his pleasant attitude instead of the grieving warrior, nevertheless found herself liking his company after only a few minutes with him.

"Look at you," he said, smirking down at her, "unable to enjoy the city's sights."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll survive."

"Since you couldn't come with us on the morning patrol, I thought I would be welcoming and bring you a gift from our trip." His hands had been clasped behind his back up to this point; now he extended one hand toward her. In it he held a medium-sized blue flower with a yellow center and a skinny green stem.

Lightning blinked, not sure how to react. On Cocoon, a man bringing a woman any number of flowers was a sign of affection or romantic interest. She suspected things _had_ to be different here, since Caius had only known her for a few days until now. Half-smiling at him, she reached out and took it, twirling it between her fingertips. It had a very faint, rosy sort of smell.

"This is the Paddraen crest flower," he explained. "This color combination signifies strength."

_Oh_. Lightning felt stupid. "It's pretty."

"I found it befitting a woman like yourself – taking down a faeryl, however foolishly, with a badly injured knee is by no means a small feat. You should be proud of what you accomplished." Nodding, he turned away again, leaving her to ponder the flower and its meaning alone.

At the end of the week, the physician came to see how well she could stand. The joint was healing but the tendons were sore and her hamstring ached when she put pressure on it. She was to stay in bed a few more days. Worried she was losing time to prevent the apocalypse, she had trouble sleeping.

She was sitting on the edge of the cot and stretching the following morning when two brown-haired girls came to visit her.

Lightning was at a loss for what made her so interesting to them. They'd indicated they had parents and went to school each day, but for some reason, their curiosity was insatiable and their exuberant personalities could not stay away from her. Considering how they had talked about Caius, though, she figured that they were just the sort of people who got into _everyone's_ business.

"We brought something for you," Anhui said, and dropped a wrapped-up something-or-other on the cot. Lightning picked it up, scanning the letters. It said something along the lines of _careful, hot_. "Hospital food can be yuck, so we figured, hey, here's a treat!"

Lightning smiled and unwrapped the whatever-it-was. Inside was a warm, bready food that felt heavy and soft to the touch. She tugged off a piece. Inside was a thick jelly-like substance that smelled heavenly. "Thanks," she said, and ate the piece. It was warm, soft, and not too sweet. Somewhat greedily, she bit in again. "This– what _is_ it?"

"Remember that fruit you ate before?" Anhui asked. "Well, that's called faeryl-fruit. That's a jelly-paste made from the skin and the meat boiled and mashed with nectar. It's good. We use it in all sorts of stuff. We even know how to douse the pits so they–"

"Who's 'we'?" Malo interrupted. "You can't cook!"

"Yes I can!"

"You can't boil noodles without evaporating the water!"

Lightning quickly took another bite, chewing. It was so familiar, two sisters bickering like idiots, that it made her feel all warm inside.

"That was one time!" Anhui insisted. "I can make a _killer_ casserole with faeryl-fruit pits!"

Lightning swallowed to cover her snicker.

The girls glared at each other, then looked back at Lightning, their argument forgotten. "So, when do you get out of bed rest?" Anhui asked.

Lightning licked the jelly off her lips, blinking at the pastry. It was a sugar bomb. Despite being none too sweet in _taste_, the thing was _packed_ with fruit sugars. She carefully wrapped it up and set it beside the newspaper. "Soon, I hope. I know I'm needed elsewhere."

Anhui folded on arm and propped the other elbow on it, gesturing with that hand. "They finished getting all the pieces from the faeryl just a couple hours ago," she said. "I think Caius was going to bring something to you. I heard him say that, I think."

Lightning had to ask. "How do you know Caius?"

Anhui grinned. "Hello? Tall, dark, and handsome? What red-blooded human female _wouldn't_ want to know Caius?"

Lightning made a face.

Malo giggled. Anhui said, "Nah, I'm just kidding. But he _is_ cute, I'll say that. No, see, mom's a weaver and dad's a hunter. I'm the older child, so they trust me to take care of stuff. Because of the hunts, I got to know the hunters well, and Caius is always close by. We know each other," she added, bobbing her head. "He likes to pick on me."

"He picks on everyone, sis," Malo deadpanned.

"Yeah, but for some reason, especially me."

"Cuz you're such a pain."

"You wish."

Malo rolled her eyes. "Don't get any delusions. The guy's, what, twice your age?"

Lightning tapped her lower lip with one finger. She could remember when Serah was little and had a huge crush on one of their father's associates, a PSICOM bombardier. He was a nice guy by nature, so naturally little Serah fell in love with him. Lightning, who'd been older and wiser at the time, had harbored an attraction too, but knew he was out of her league.

"There's no law against a little hero worship," Anhui said, smiling. "But this topic derailed, so, like that pastry?"

Lightning groaned. "Headache."

Malo grinned while Anhui shrugged. "You get used to it. Oh, anything you're curious about in the outside world?"

"Everything."

Anhui tweaked her chin with her thumb and forefinger. "Well, _everything's_ quiet. Yeul does her addresses once in a while and Miyoki's the grumpy old guy." She shrugged. "Oh, we're coming into the start of trading season, so we'll start seeing company from the other nations. That's so much fun," she said, perking suddenly. "There's all sorts of stuff to trade."

"I love the Sulyya lilies Tesrai brings," Malo squealed.

"And the green starblossoms are amazing," Anhui added, nodding.

Lightning sat quietly and listened to the sisters go on about the trading season. They described tapestries, dyes, wool, gems, stone, agriculture, livestock, and other things that had her fascinated. In her travels, she never suspected that Gran Pulse had been such a vibrant land. It made sense, considering how Oerba had looked, but it still amazed her.

They were still talking when a tall shape lifted the flap separating her from the rest of the hospital and let in a burst of brilliant sunshine.

"Malo, Anhui," Caius said, "are you bothering Claire?"

The girls immediately silenced and looked over their shoulders at him. "No," they said together.

He lowered the flap; Lightning saw him half-smirking, half-smiling down at them. It was somewhat amusing to see that he dwarfed them, easily twice each of their heights and at least that in sheer bulk. Yet he didn't look menacing, and bent at the waist with his hands on his thighs to their eye level.

"That's what I heard, though," he said.

Lightning rubbed the back of her neck as the girls slouched. "We're just seeing how she's doing," Anhui said, "but we gotta get going now." She looked at Lightning. "Get lots of rest, okay? We'll be seein' you." Waving a hand, she took Malo's upper arm, grinned at Caius, and left.

Lightning clicked her tongue. "Funny."

Caius straightened. "What is?"

"Those two. I mean, they remind me so much of me and my sister, y'know, when we were little."

He made a thoughtful sound. "You have a sister, hmm? Did you bring her with you?"

"No. She's at home. Or, will be. But not with me."

"Ah. So you left her behind?"

Lightning winced and looked away. Caius wouldn't know that question, though he meant it in the sense of "you left her in Haerii", cut rather deep. Moreover, he wouldn't know she'd essentially sentenced Serah to die, even though she hadn't known it at the time.

"Yeah," she muttered.

There was a moment of silence; Caius's brow furrowed, but he was wise enough to drop the matter. "I came to give you something," he said.

Grateful for the change of topic, she said, "Oh?"

He reached behind him into a black sling with light purple and white accents, including intricate purple-and-white beadwork, and withdrew a white object. Lightning noticed his spear was missing as she looked at the object. He held it out to her; she leaned closer. It was a large, saw-edged tooth.

"From the faeryl," he said. "I had a hole cut in it–" He turned it over. "–and a string fed through. You can hang it off your belt."

She took it, surreptitiously looking him over. Sure enough, there was a similar fang woven into his belt on his right hip, a string of beautifully crafted beadwork securing it beside about half a dozen other fangs and claws. With one finger, she touched her fang. It'd been polished butter-smooth and shone with a distinct ivory sheen, the saw-edge filed down so it was harmless.

"Even though I made so many mistakes and wrecked my knee?" she said, and pursed her lips. "Well, thanks."

"You were stupid, I won't deny it," he said.

Lightning glared at him.

"But your ingenuity downed the faeryl, and for that we are all grateful." Bringing a hand to his chest, he placed it above his heart and gave her a quick bow. "You've let me know you're reckless and foolish, but you have also impressed me."

She nodded, feeling a rush of pride and confidence. If she kept this up, earning his trust and completing her purpose would be a cakewalk. The only remaining issue, then, was what to do about his Focus once he got it. Maybe Yeul would be able to help her.

"Caius," she said, "I need to speak to Yeul about something. Know when the next chance is?"

He folded his arms. "Can you walk?"

"Uh…" She looked down at her knee. "No."

"Then ask me again when you're well, and I'll give you a better answer then," he said.

"Caius–"

He held up one finger. "I'll be back to see how you're faring. Rest now."

He left, and a few minutes later a nurse came in to check on her. Lightning submitted to more study as the nurse, and eventually the physician, examined her. The physician ordered her another week's bed rest; she considered this pure torture and flopped back on the cot with a groan.

As the week crept by, Lightning lounged with her knee packed in ice and continued to teach herself the written language. Slowly, she discovered there were columns, obituaries, births, and headlines in the newspaper just like on Cocoon, though organized differently and with far less fluff. Using contextual clues, she found that each Pulse letter had an exact transliteration in the Cocoon alphabet and that they both spelled out the same spoken language. Once she discovered this, she deciphered much of the letters, and by the end of the week had figured out about two-thirds of the language.

Caius visited every day, usually only poking his head in and asking how she was doing before leaving again, but he began to linger more often. Lightning grew rather fond of his company, liking the fact that someone cared whether she lived or died in this foreign land.

One such visit was in late afternoon, after Lightning had just returned from bathing with the help of the nurse, who was still under instructions to aid her while her knee finished healing. Her clothes were replaced with an outfit resembling a shift with highly breathable material that wasn't sheer, like cotton. As she watched her old clothes be carried away to be washed, she decided that a Paddra-style outfit would make her fit in a lot better and resolved to find one.

As she got comfortable and settled in to read, Caius reappeared, looking tired and moving with a stiffness she knew from her military days. "Any change?" he asked.

He asked the same question every time he came to visit her. Each time she could only shake her head or give him a mild update. This time, however, she could say, "Actually, they think I'm healing well, so I should be up again in a couple of days."

He started to move away, but hesitated. "How are you feeling overall?"

She looked carefully at him. "Why?"

He gave her a rather pleasant half-smile. "Claire, am I not allowed to worry about my fellow citizens? You have earned your place here and I consider you a fellow warrior. As long as you are alright, then I am content with that answer. Besides, I can see you becoming valuable in the future."

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I'm fine, but… you always do this?"

"What?"

"Worry when one of your hunters is banged up?"

He smirked. "Yes. You can ask any of them. This is not unusual. And besides," he added, stepping into the room and dropping the flap, "you're a creative thinker and quick on your feet. Foolish you may be, but an expendable asset, you are not."

His faint praise made her lift the other eyebrow, not sure how to react. "Thanks, I guess."

"Do you think you will be able to hunt with us again?"

"Doc said it depends on if my joint lines up proper. If it does…" She shrugged. "Give it another week, as long as I don't put too much strain on it, and I'll be able to hunt again." Hopefully it was less than a week – the more down time she had, the less time she had to complete her purpose.

But Caius missed the twinge of worry in her voice. "I'll be expecting your return," he said, and left.

After undergoing another examination at the end of the week, she was fit enough to walk. She slid off the cot and put weight on her knee to test this. To her delight, it held, the tendons sore but the joint aligned again, no longer shivering under her weight. The physician asked her to stay one more night under observation to ensure the healing process was proceeding normally, and Lightning slept worry-free for the first time in days.

The following morning, she thanked the personnel, put her clothes back on, and left the hospital alone.

The sun was blazing down out of a cloudless blue sky. In the midday heat, there was only the occasional man or woman running an errand. Lightning was grateful to stretch her legs after two weeks of bed rest. She took the opportunity to return to the fish fountain and sit on the edge to drop a hand in the water. The air was still, the sun hot on her shoulders, the city quiet.

As she stirred the water, she began to think.

How much had she changed just by arriving here in the distant past, and what still remained? What was there for her to discover? And Caius's Focus… worry had begun to gnaw at her. In the battle to come, she would have to ensure he lived, yet he would be a l'Cie. She couldn't let him die. Yet, considering her own experience with crystal stasis, she couldn't let him crystallize. If he became a Cie'th, it was worse than death. No matter which way she turned, she seemed to encounter only dead ends. She had taken a great risk coming here, thinking it a way to end the war before it began. But now…

_Serah, I'm so sorry. I failed you_. After weeks of pushing it out of her head, the thought came back to haunt her. The image of her dear sister giving up the ghost before her eyes still horrified her. She could only pray that whatever she did here in the past could lay down a steady path for the future.

Those thoughts granted her fresh resolve, and she stood, flicking the water off her fingers. Caught up in the faeryl and her own discomfort, she had been unable to pursue her goal as she would have liked. This was too important: it was time to accelerate the process.

She started walking, her steps stout with purpose, toward the place where Yeul spent her time. She forgot about her pain and discomfort.

All that mattered was the future.

But Lightning only got as far as the flowering pathway to the bazaar before she stopped, partly because she was a bit lost, but also because there was no need to keep going. The seeress was standing at one of the plants, hands buried in the leaves and a look of concentration on her face. Her Guardian was nowhere in sight, but that didn't mean he wasn't close by.

As Lightning hesitated, Yeul said, "Caius said you wished to speak to me."

The woman walked forward, looking around. There was no one else around. "Yes. It's important."

Yeul didn't seem to hear her, tugging on an enormous blue flower with two fingers. "Look at this, Claire," she said, a smile in her voice. "Isn't it lovely?"

Lightning frowned. "Yes."

"We extract the nectar to sweeten food," she continued. Gently, she plucked a smaller flower from a bunch and held it up, twirling it between her fingers. A bumblebee, disturbed from its duty, hummed out of the flower and went for another one. "They can also be pressed for a pale blue dye, and smell wonderful." To demonstrate, she held it to her nose and inhaled.

Lightning was wholly uninterested in these trivialities. "Yeul, I must speak to you. It's important."

Yeul said, "Is that not how it always is with you?"

"What?"

Yeul tucked the stem of the flower into her hair above her ear, giving Lightning a steady stare not quite devoid of emotion. "You are always running back and forth, either caught up in your own complexes or trying hard to forget them by devoting yourself to helping others. Have you never taken time to _be_ yourself? Not the warrior or the driven independent, but just yourself? A woman?"

"I've always been myself," she said firmly. "Anyway, this isn't about me. It's about Caius."

Something passed across the girl's features, a spark entering her eyes, but Lightning couldn't catch what it was before it faded. "Your purpose wholly revolves around him," she said. With one hand, she fiddled with the flower in her hair. "I know that's not what you would have preferred. That you will set aside what issues you have with him for the sake of the world's future is commendable."

Lightning tilted her head in humble gratitude. "Thank you. But my problem is about his Focus."

"Ah. Yes. As a Guardian, he must be a l'Cie."

"But he can't be allowed to die."

"Or become a Cie'th."

There was a brief pause before Lightning said, quietly, "Yes."

"With few exceptions, Cie'th receive mercy kills," Yeul said, voice soft. "Therefore, his becoming a Cie'th would result in his execution. Therefore, the only other option is his crystallization, and–" Pausing, she looked carefully at the pink-haired woman. "This concerns you."

"It does."

"Yet if you are to accomplish your task," Yeul continued, "you _must_ help him or allow him to complete his Focus."

Lightning gritted her teeth. "I _know_."

"I fail to see the problem."

"I feel like I'm trapped," she admitted sourly. "There's three options for l'Cie, but… none of them–" She hesitated, hand making random gestures in the air. "They don't– there's no _telling_ which one is the right one. I've seen l'Cie before, _known_ them personally, and I feel like… like there's no way out. Crystallization can be reversed, and if he becomes a Cie'th, or if he _dies_–"

"Let him crystallize."

Lightning fell into confused silence, then said, "What?"

"Allow him to crystallize." Yeul reached out and gently touched her forearm. "It is a natural end for a Guardian's Focus, and therefore it would be wholly cruel and thoughtless to interfere in it."

She wondered just how well Yeul knew Etro.

"Because he is a Guardian, he will reawaken, again and again, until his natural death."

Just help Caius complete his Focus and let him asleep in crystal stasis. Just get to know him well enough to gain his trust, keep him at arm's length, and be reliable enough to be at his side when the war finally came. Then watch him crystallize, call it a day, and go home to a future where he didn't have the Heart of Chaos and history proceeded as it should. She'd never considered crystallization as a _natural_ end…

Surprising herself, she openly laughed, pressing one palm to her face. "It's _that_ simple?" she said once she was spent. "I've done more difficult things. This won't be– why–" She laughed again and shook her head. "I'd thought this would be _difficult_!"

Yeul gazed at her in silence. Lightning stopped laughing. The two women eyed each other.

"There is still much time before the war, but less until he is branded," the seeress said. "Never assume things are as simple as they appear, Claire."

"It _is_ sim–"

"_No_." That one word was spoken with a bite that surprised the older woman into silence. "Did you already forget what I told you when you arrived here? About joy, and sorrow? About the land, the people, the culture? Do you not understand the depth of what I said?"

Lightning chewed her lip. "I will get attached to this place. I already am. But I have left my home before. I can do it again if I m–"

Yeul interrupted with a sigh and shook her head. "I will let time teach you your lesson."

"_What_ lesson?"

The seeress turned away, touching the flowers again. "In the interim, you should pick up payment for the faeryl and find a place to stay," she said, abruptly changing the subject. "Also, I would suggest you accompany others during trading season so that you may gain greater understanding. Keep your eye on Caius and learn about him without the bias you arrived with."

Lightning was not pleased with this. What lesson was she to learn?

"You are dismissed," Yeul said.

Lightning said nothing, giving a respectful nod. Then she left, going the way she came, trying not to let her frustration make it to her face. What lesson was she supposed to "learn" and why? How was she going to achieve her goal? And why hadn't she realized just how _simple_ the whole thing really was?

Deep in thought, she didn't notice when she passed a group of men in hunting garb, each of whom gave her curious looks. It was only when one broke off and blocked her way did she stop and look up from her continuous study of the ground.

"Oh." It was Caius, unsurprisingly. "You."

He ignored the disdain in her voice and looked her over. "Good," he said, nodding, "you can walk again. Are you feeling alright?"

Lightning wasn't sure how to respond to his concern. Was this normal? She didn't know him that well. What could she expect? Was she supposed to be flattered, or just blow it off? What were his intentions? "I feel great, actually," she said. "Haven't felt this good in a while. Nothing's sore and my knee is fine."

"Good." He glanced at the other hunters; they looked away. Lightning looked at them as well, lifting an eyebrow as they pretended to ignore her. "Did you speak to Yeul?"

"I did," she said, and changed the subject. "Where do I register to be a hunter?"

"The hunting office in the bazaar." He looked past her a moment. "Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I know where the bazaar is," she said, a little harshly.

He scowled at her. "There's no need for that tone."

"Maybe there is."

"And why would that be?"

Sighing, she looked away, hands on her hips, not sure how to answer. There was no way she was bringing up the topics she'd discussed with Yeul. "I've got stuff to do," she said at last, "and it's frustrating that I can't do them as soon as I'd like. That's all."

She heard him scoff quietly and caught a faint smile when she looked back. "Oh, so you're upset that you cannot make life do what you wish? That you cannot alter time as you please? That you cannot be in many places at once?"

Lightning groaned. "More or less."

"That's a terrible thing."

She was about to agree with him when she realized his amused smile had gotten wider.

"Are you–" He was _teasing_ her! "Caius, I'm being _serious_."

The smile widened further. "It's always entertaining to watch some tenderfoot flail about because she cannot seem to handle all these new responsibilities, and," he added, "further proving that she isn't all grown up yet."

This infuriated her. "I _am_ grown up."

"Claire," he said, "what I meant by that is _maturity_."

Lightning noticed the other hunters watching and eyed them. They quickly hid their amused looks and turned their backs.

"Now," Caius said, "would you like me to show you the exchange? You haven't proof of your hunter status yet, so you will need someone to vouch for you. I am enough of an authority to do that."

Lightning muttered, "Yeah, sure."

Caius backed away, extended one arm, palm up, toward the bazaar, and gave her a shallow bow from the waist. She blinked at him before brushing past. Purpose or no, she briefly wanted to punch him, childish as it was. Laughing at her. Finding her insistence on seriousness funny. Thinking she was foolish. Not trusting her. While she'd dealt with many men before, he _always_ found a way under her skin.

Lightning walked a step ahead of him in silence, refusing to look at him for long even when he caught her glance back at him and met her eyes. He was no longer smirking, but still seemed entertained. Him not treating her like the independent Amazon she had been born and raised to be was mildly frustrating.

Once they were in the bazaar, he led her to a building down the street from the weaponsmith. The sign over the building entrance said – if she was reading it right – _hunting office_.

Caius opened the door, but stood back, holding it open. Lightning stopped. Confused, she looked at him.

He cocked an eyebrow. "It's a door. You go through it."

Lightning noted his mix of sarcasm and humor before giving him a curt nod and entering. He closed the door behind them. Inside, she saw a lobby and a counter, behind which stood a slightly rotund middle-aged woman with dark hair. She gave the couple a nod and held up a finger; Lightning looked around, saw a chair, and plunked down in it.

Caius sat beside her. "Do you know how this works? It's different for every nation."

"Not really, no."

"Then trust me to show you."

_Trust_. Lightning was having a bit of trouble digesting the idea of trusting this man. Still, he had demonstrated his ability to be patient and even kind by helping her after she'd wrecked her knee, so she could cut him some slack.

The woman called them to the counter. "Yes?"

Lightning said, "I'm here to register to become a hunter."

"You're late," the woman said.

"She was decommissioned after sustaining crippling injuries," Caius put in.

The woman looked at him. "Prepared to vouch for her?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"You'll need this," the woman said. She produced a sheet of paper and gave it to Lightning. "Fill that out." She handed Lightning a pen carved out of bamboo. Fascinated, Lightning forgot the paper for a moment, turning the pen over in both hands. As she did, the woman handed Caius another sheet of paper; he took it and a pen as well and started to return to his seat, but stopped beside Lightning instead.

After a bit, she grew aware of Caius's half-bemused, half-entertained stare and grunted, returning to her chair to fill out the paper. Having to work based on context, she ended up leaving most of the fields blank, instead filling out only the ones marked with a small blue dot. Halfway through, she slowed, mortified at her attempts at writing the Pulsian language.

Caius glanced at the paper. "And… how old are you, exactly?"

She gave a heavy sigh. "What's this?" she asked, and pointed at something.

"Ah," he said. "That's a traders' tax. You won't be trading, so it does not apply to you." Pause. "Check the left box."

She did. "And this one?"

"That asks whether or not you were born in Paddra, and if you were not, whether or not the–" He listed off a few taxes and a couple of acronyms, which Lightning didn't bother to follow too closely. "None of those apply to you since you received permission directly from Yeul." She checked the left box, and once she reached the bottom, he took the paper from her. "It requires my signature," he explained when she started to protest.

"Oh." She watched as he quickly signed on a dotted line.

"Yours as well," he said, giving it back.

When she finished, she returned the paper to the woman, who traded it for a blue bag with patterns resembling the ones on Caius's headband. She opened it, looking inside. The bag was full of gil, neatly sorted and packed together in cotton sleeves.

The woman scanned the paper, read it again, shrugged, and filed it away. "You're registered."

Lightning tied the bag to her belt, turned away, and saw Caius opening the door for her again. She stopped. "You know, I _can_ open it on my own…"

"I'm aware of that," he said in a very smooth voice. "Yet that is not what it's about."

She met his eyes. "What's it about?"

He smirked at her.

Lightning stared at him a second, then went out. On the street, they paused and looked at each other.

"Thanks for the help," she said. It was not at all forced.

He nodded. "Of course."

She looked around. "Residential quarter?"

"Past the fountain and across the plaza, near where you went to see Yeul. You can find a place there."

Lightning nodded at him. The constant nagging of his Focus and her purpose was going to drive her mad at this rate, and it made her feel helpless. That Yeul had refused to give her more than cryptic answers didn't help. How much time did she have before he succeeded his mentor as Guardian and underwent his branding? How long would it be before the war? How would she save the timeline in the heat of battle? What would it take to convince–

"Claire," he said, cutting into her thoughts.

She blushed, realizing she'd been staring at him. "Sorry."

"Are you alright?"

She kept her thoughts to herself. "I'm fine. Gotta go. Thanks for everything." She turned and continued out of the bazaar, glancing back. Caius walked off as well. Troubled, she walked in silence.

Halfway to the residential quarter, she remembered the weaponsmith and hurried back to pay off her weapon.


	9. The Timeline Fractures

_**The Timeline Fractures**_

Serah and Noel blinked at each other.

"Did you hear that?" she asked, and looked around almost frantically. "I mean, I'm not the only who heard that voice – the voice saying everything'll be okay, right?"

Noel joined her in looking around. "No, you're not," he said, "but I don't see anything."

"It was in my head."

He looked back at her with a frown. "Yeah… it was, wasn't it?"

As they looked around, Serah kept gazing up at Cocoon twinkling in the starlight, feeling a nagging sensation that something wasn't quite right, but couldn't put her finger on it. As she continued to gaze at the luminous shell, her skin began to prickle, the hairs standing up. A cold wind blew over her. With it came the scent of water and salt; she breathed it in a moment in confusion.

"Noel," she whispered.

The darkhaired boy moved to stand close beside her. "The sea," he breathed.

"The sea," she repeated.

Together, they looked over the reefs where New Bodhum's enormous ocean had once been. Serah had the distinct feeling that something was changing.

"What's happening?" Noel murmured, frowning.

Serah shivered and rubbed her arms, trying to clear the goosebumps. "It's cold," she said. She hesitated and looked down at herself. "Noel," she said, "I miss Snow, and Lightning, and all the others. I really, really do. Never even realized it, but– I…" Surprising herself, she felt tears pricking her eyes. How long had she been separated from her fiancé and her sister? No. She'd been trying to compartmentalize the hurt. For three years, it worked, and she'd been able to live in denial for all those three years. Now, she realized she _really_ missed her groom-to-be, and wished she had shown it more obviously in the Coliseum.

Why hadn't she done that?

"No," she said, and rubbed her eye with the heel of her palm. "I… miss _Snow_. What you said, about people–"

Noel looked at her. "Oh. About the…"

"Time. Yeah. It's never enough." Wishing she could ball herself up, she shivered. These clothes were easy to move in and efficient for battle and exploration, but they exposed too much skin. "Nothing is."

"Here," Noel said, gently taking her shoulder, "there's a little shelter in the ruins."

"Shelter…" She almost didn't get it.

After a pause, she glanced sideways to see him half-smiling at her. "From the wind. It's sharp and bites like a whip made of ice." He gestured toward the ruins of the NORA household, all dilapidated wood and tarnished stone; at the sight of it, Serah cringed and blinked away some bitterness, but she kept a neutral expression for her companion's sake. No sense getting all sad now, after so much time.

"They're dead now."

Noel waited until they were seated beneath an overhang created by a dead tree before saying, "What are?"

"Everyone," she murmured. "My sister. Hope. Sazh. All those people, wandering around in Academia, they're all just–" Pursing her lips, she sighed. "It's strange, you know. Thinking about it. I know they're alive, but right here and now, they're all…" Her voice cracked a little as she dropped her chin in her hand, squeezing her eyes tight shut against the silence before her.

She felt Noel sling an arm around her shoulders, a gesture obviously meant to be comforting rather than intimate. "I get it," he muttered. "Don't feel bad."

"I do, though," she said. Pause. "You're kinda warm."

He chuckled, almost shyly. "Yeah, well, all the cold and dryness? You gotta remember, I'm used to it. Doesn't bother me at all. I can't, uh–" He squirmed. "Can't… give you much more body heat. Y'know, unless you lay down with your back to mine. Helps disperse the heat better. Until we can find a way outta here, at least."

Serah had been listening, but not really understanding, stuck in her thoughts.

"You're not listening, huh?"

Serah felt a little guilty. "Sorry, I'm just… not paying attention."

Noel hugged her tighter. She was grateful for the warmth. "Yeah, I get it. You're fine. See?" he added, pointing at the sky. "The stars are comin' out. It'll be dark soon. We'll sit here for the night, then we'll get up and look around for some way out. And, Serah?"

His warmth had knocked some of the chill out of her body so she no longer shivered. Tilting her head, she looked at him. "Hmm?"

"We'll go see Snow, okay? I know you wanna see him."

She nodded. "Yeah…"

Noel squirmed, then said, hesitantly, "Uh, you know, you said… when you were a l'Cie, he did everything he could to help you, so… What did you– what'd you mean by that?"

As she always did when recalling memories of her days as a l'Cie, Serah felt a rush of different emotions. Hope and fear were there, practically side-by-side, along with uneasiness and bitterness. While she had never showed it, most certainly not to her sister, she had been _bitter_ about her fate, though putting the best face on helped her forget about it a little. It helped her grit her teeth and bear it. It helped her create for herself a new Focus, a new interpretation of the cruel fate she'd been handed.

"Snow took on the whole world to save me," she told him. "When we all fell to Lake Bresha from the Vestige in the Hanging Edge–" She paused, realizing she was throwing a few terms at him he wouldn't recognize, but when he only blinked at her, she continued. "PSICOM was after us. Lightning led the group away – Sazh, Hope, and Vanille – because I was crystallized and stuck in the lake, but Snow… he stayed behind. Kept digging and fighting to get me out even when he almost died. Stuck by me and his promise to me even when everything fell apart. Even when the guys after us caught him. He did _everything_ for–"

And then her voice cracked, and she shut her eyes to hold back the tears. All the things he'd done for her, and she had never once thanked him for it. Never asking for a reward, never doubting, never leaving her side unless he knew she was absolutely safe… and she never thanked him for it.

"You know what," she murmured, "I haven't told him I loved him in three years."

Noel stared at her. "What? Not _once_?"

"No."

"Not one time?"

She sadly shook her head. "When I see him, I'm gonna tell him." Shifting into a more comfortable position, she closed her eyes for real and prepared to sleep. Beside her, Noel wriggled, finding a comfortable position and nestling in. His slow, rhythmic breathing calmed her down, and she was vaguely amused to find him asleep long before her.

* * *

Lightning had just finished washing up and tending to her knee, binding it to stabilize it for the day, when there was a knock at the front door. Making sure her new clothing – in the style of Paddra rather than Haerii – was fitted right, she headed to the door and opened it.

Janya was standing there in a green huntress outfit, one hand on her hip. She glanced past Lightning to look inside the home. "Nice place you got."

The other woman half-smiled. In the residential quarter were duplex homes nestled near a cliff that were generally the homes of the hunters, warriors, and harvesters without families. Hers was the three-room west half of the duplex, separated from the other by a stout wall and dual-locking door, with a window at the back for a view of the sunny valley beyond. It was smaller than her home on Cocoon, but with a little ingenuity (and of course her cleaning skills) she'd turned it into a nice home-away-from-home.

"Got paid, huh?"

"I did," she answered, leaning on the doorframe. "Nobody comes around here without a reason. What'd you come here for, Janya?"

"Yeul wants to speak with you," she said, "and she says it's kind of important. Don't know why. Didn't pay a lot of attention. You don't, not when it don't concern you."

Lightning nodded and went for her blade, which was nestled in an alcove in its sling. Made of behemoth leather with durable lock-pin assemblies to secure it to her belt, the thing would withstand the test of time. It reminded her of her gunblade sling, only white with decorative beading instead of plain red.

She stepped out, closing and locking the door, and secured the sling as she walked.

"Heh." Janya fingered the beading. "Real nice. Oerban beadwork. Can't beat it."

"They're the best beaders?"

"That ain't a word," Janya mumbled, but nodded. "Sure. They've been known to make entire tapestries with seed beads. Some of those take years. Now, not all Oerbans are in bead-making, but those that are kind of turned it into an expected export, y'know? They can make beads out of shell and bone and bark and whatever else. It's pretty impressive stuff." She smirked. "Oh yeah, and the purple some of the warriors have on their outfits? They came up with that particular shade. Can only make it outta the lake shells."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "Wow."

"You get that, huh? Yeah, it's pretty hard to make." They walked in silence for a time; Janya led her into the city, but Lightning sort of knew where they were going. "Traders should be showin' up pretty soon. Oerba always comes with beads, tapestries, and dyes. They sell the purple. Don't tell us how it's done."

Lightning nodded. "Does everyone come here?"

"No, we go to them too."

The two women continued into the city and found the building where Yeul spent her days whenever she wasn't out amongst the people. Janya stopped in the mini-plaza in front of the building; Lightning looked over her shoulder at the huntress.

"Was comin' this way, so I figured I'd keep you company. Be seein' you." With a quick mock-salute, she headed off into the city. Lightning continued to the building.

"–just think it'd be good for ya, before it's time."

"Time? For what?"

Lightning stopped, tilting her head and listening. She recognized the voices as belonging to Caius and Miyoki. The tone of both, though, was serious, and Caius sounded worried. Thinking that if she busted in she'd be interrupting something important, she stood in the lobby and listened. Their voices were muffled by the tapestry separating her from the chambers, but she understood them well enough.

"I think you're ready. Been ready for years."

"Are you talking about–"

"Yeah. Your promotion. It's about time you moved up from apprentice to Guardian yourself."

There was a pause. "But… now, during–"

"I'm old, Caius. I've lived way too long. Too many crystallizations and heartbreak, and I want out. Maybe I'm bein' a little selfish, but sometimes you gotta find the time to let go. Besides, you'll be better than me. Nah, you'll be the _best_ there ever was. You know that? You, Caius of the Jenhi clan, will be history. You'll _make_ history. You'll be the greatest Guardian there ever was and put me to shame."

"Don't pander to my ego, Miyoki." There was a flicker of irritation now. "I want the truth."

"I'm _telling_ the truth. Time to move up. You've got the skill and the loyalty. When the time comes, you won't have a problem."

"It's too soon. For the season, and the–"

"No more waiting! I'm _done_ with the waiting! You aren't like Gorgyra, or any of the others. No, you've got what it takes, and you'll be the best there ever was." There was a lengthy pause, during which she heard Caius sigh and the older man grunt softly. "Now, look. One last hurrah before you get stuck here. No offense, Yeul. Spend some time with your friends and go poke around before things get tough again."

"Miyoki–"

"Don't argue with me, you. It's not yet, anyway. It'll be next a good while yet. I'm not askin' you to jump in and start tryin' to kill me right away, but be prepared just in case. You're going stir crazy and time's gettin' short. You deserve one last taste of freedom."

Lightning winced. _Freedom_.

Caius snorted, softly, but only said, "As you wish."

"Good. Now you stop moping around and get something done. I've got to go check on prep work, so when I get back I expect to see that scowl gone. You better be smiling or at least neutral. Go talk to your friends, or Claire. _She_ gets you to smile."

At the sound of her name, Lightning lifted an eyebrow. She'd never really noticed, but yes, Caius _did_ seem to smile more around her.

She blushed faintly. And _she_ smiled around him, too.

The tapestry lifted, and Miyoki came walking out. He looked at her. "You heard it all?"

She shrugged. "Enough."

"Doesn't matter. Soon enough everyone'll witness it. Should be interesting."

"Witness what?"

"The Guardian promotion ceremony. You know, where he kills me."

Lightning was pretty used to death – even disturbingly so – but it still chilled her blood to hear him say it so casually, as if he were merely giving the time of day or commenting on the weather. Paddra was a culture based around death in some ways, and this seemed to be one of them. Not wanting to let him see her discomfort, she only nodded, expression unchanged.

"If you're here to see Yeul, feel free. And for Pulse's sake, _get him to smile_."

Lightning tried to stifle a smile of her own, but it leaked through a little anyway. "I'll do my best," she said, nodding again. "Thanks, Miyoki."

He half-smiled, then headed out into the hot, humid sunshine. Lightning watched him go, shrugged, and headed into the chambers beyond the tapestry. Yeul was sitting by the pool on her knees, staring intently into the water; she tried not to disturb her, instead looking around. Finally, she spotted Caius, leaning against one of the pillars, gazing back at her in silence.

She groaned. "What's with the death glare? Didn't he say 'smile'?"

Caius stared at her. "You heard that."

"I did."

"It's not nice to eavesdrop," he said. Yeul glanced at them, but went back to her study of the water just as quickly.

"You talk so loud," she said, "I probably could've heard you _outside_ the building."

Caius blinked. "I have feelings, Claire."

"Not when you're scowling."

"I am _not_ scowling."

"Fine. Sulking."

"Both of you, please," Yeul interrupted, but was trying very hard not to smile. "That's quite enough. Caius, you are free to stay, or you may go."

Caius straightened. "I will go," he said. "Claire, I need to speak to you when you're finished here. I will be in the lobby." As he passed, he looked sidelong at her. "And I am _not_ sulking, either."

She gave him a smile she knew was irritating. It always worked on her sister, anyway. "If you say so."

He didn't give her another look before leaving.

Yeul was still looking into the pool. "I was counting on him leaving," she admitted. "If he had been here, I'd not have been able to speak with you. He interrupted Miyoki and I as we spoke."

Lightning had to ask. "What's– _what's_ with the pool?"

"Do you not see?"

"Uh…" Lightning squinted. "I see tiles and water. So… no."

Yeul smiled at her before reaching into the pool. After a few moments of darting her hand about, she lifted a small, shiny creature out of the water. It was a bluish fish with long yellow fins that fluttered as it twitched. "They keep me company." She released it back into the water, and Lightning realized that the "tiles" were actually fish, contentedly listing about – until their comrade rejoined them, at which point they scattered.

"Yeul," Lightning coaxed, "what's this about, huh?"

"The war. It has become clearer to me now." She stood, brushing the wrinkles out of her skirt. "That, and I wanted to ask after your well-being. You're doing well, I presume?"

Lightning cracked a half-smile. "Considering the circumstances, yeah, I'm doing great."

Yeul smiled. "That is good to hear."

Lightning shifted, half-smile fading fast. "You didn't bring me here for a social visit. So, what is it?"

Yeul flexed her fingers. "One of the trade nations will skirmish with us – it's less outright war, and more of a scuffle of disagreement. There would be no bloodshed, but too many are loyal on both sides. I know not which nation it will be, but I know this: they will come for _me_."

"You?"

"I am the seeress of Paddra. I hold ancestral information and great power. I would be a valuable possession. Caius will not allow it, of course, for his love of his people and culture tends to overrule his common sense."

"_Tends_ to?" Lightning scoffed. "I know him enough to say that's an _understatement_."

Yeul tilted her head – a gesture with a very arms-crossed-even-stare feel to it. "Then I need not remind you how important it is you gain his trust and friendship. If anyone can protect him from himself, it is she who knows him best."

Lightning was a little humbled, but only just. "Do I get a say in getting to know him?"

"No."

Well, she tried. "Fine. I'll give it my best shot. It's all I'm promising."

"Fair enough," Yeul said. "This skirmish will be short, but it will be difficult because of the stubbornness of those I call my people – in particular, my Guardian-to-be."

"That man–" Lightning sighed.

"At least you have shown him kindness, and for that are I am grateful. Beyond the skirmish, I see little. It can go two ways at this point, because I see, and I know–" Yeul touched her forehead with two fingertips. "Something terrible may yet happen. The point is not fixed. It can still change. If whatever it is _does_ happen, the world will suffer."

Lightning nodded. "Believe me, I know."

"This path seems to lead in the right direction. I am not fully aware of all things, but I know enough to understand that your choice will be an important one."

"Choice?" Lightning lifted her head. "What choice?"

Yeul gazed at her. "I'm sorry."

"What _choice_, Yeul?"

"What matters now is that you keep all of this to yourself," she said, quickly changing the subject. "Miyoki knows, but he welcomes death and blesses the day he breathes his last. Anything you say or do could harm the timeline at this point. You must avoid creating a paradox."

Lightning rubbed her neck. Paradoxes and broken timelines. Fringe science and quantum mechanics in general made her head hurt. Maybe it was because she just didn't have a scientist's mind, or maybe she had just never cared. And what _choice_ was she referring to? That in particular was going to drive her crazy…

"I'll do my best. Everything'll be fine."

"Then you may go."

She nodded, then slipped Yeul's bracelet off her wrist – its resting place for so long – and handed it to the girl, who took it after a moment. "Thanks for everything," she said, and turned away after giving a quick, respectful bow.

"Remember," Yeul said, "you will find the greatest joy, and feel the deepest sorrow."

Lightning's steps stuttered, and she looked over her shoulder at the girl. Yeul only gave her a steady stare, but there was a bit of sadness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Though she stared for some time, she couldn't see any answers, so she left through the tapestry.

"That was quick."

She started a little at the voice of her rival so close to her ear. "Quick enough."

The two gazed at each other a moment. "How much of my conversation with Miyoki did you hear?" he asked.

She placed a fist on her hip. "Don't know. Half, maybe?"

"Beginning when?"

"When he said something'd be good for you."

Caius nodded. "Yes, right. I was going to ask if you would be still be interested in going on a group hunt with the rest of us. The Archlyte Steppe is home to some of the best meat animals in the area. We will be going there and up in the pastures again. There… shouldn't be any more faeryl around." Pause. "At least, in theory."

Lightning chuckled softly. "Alright. Here's hopin' we don't."

"Then this will be your chance."

"Even with my knee?"

"You can walk on it just fine," he said, smirking. "You can't convince me you're still crippled."

She chuckled. "Sure, I'll go. When and where?"

"Tomorrow morning. Meet us in the front plaza as before."

She nodded, and together they exited the building. Looking up, Lightning saw that the sun had moved into the early afternoon position, but it was still a few hours before sunset. "Will Janya and Yoteri be joining us again?" she said.

"Most likely. Problem?"

"Nah. Just asking."

"Also," he said, "Nomin will likely be accompanying us. He is a good soldier, and I am considering taking him as my apprentice once I move up to become a Guardian. It would do him some good to get out with the rest of us and socialize some. He tends to…" He hesitated, then chuckled softly. "Well, he keeps to himself, and that is not always an admirable quality, not in a Guardian."

She nodded and looked back at the sky. It was a few moments before she sensed him gazing steadily at her and looked up into his eyes. "Oh, that reminds me," she said suddenly, snapping her fingers by her hip. "Miyoki said to get you to smile."

Caius's eyebrow twitched, faintly. "Did he."

"Mm-hmm."

He folded his arms. "I'm bitter about what I must do to become the next Guardian," he said. "That's all."

"You have to kill him."

Pause. "Yes."

"Caius," she said, pointedly, "who's Gorgyra?"

"Someone Miyoki did not put out of her misery." He sighed; she stared at him and cocked an eyebrow when he didn't immediately go on. "She was Miyoki's previous apprentice, as I told you before. However, she– she failed her duties as a Guardian in his absence."

Lightning said, "Failed, how?"

"She allowed a guerrilla faction coming for the seeress to get into the city as she was otherwise occupied at the time instead of tending to Yeul," he explained, his voice lower now. "Though she managed to rescue Yeul before it was too late, her guilt overcame her good sense, and she requested–" Caius halted abruptly, brow furrowing. "She… had the fal'Cie who branded her skip the progression straight to failure."

Lightning shivered. "She's–"

"A Cie'th, yes, wandering in the Yaschas Massif." There was sadness in his tone. "Sometimes, those who patrol the foothills can hear her anguished cries. She retains so much of _who_ she was, but can no longer control _what_ she does. It was a cruel fate."

"Becoming a l'Cie to begin with," Lightning grumbled, "is cruel enough."

Caius bent down a little to look right into her eyes. She gazed back without flinching, as she had done so many times. "You speak with a weight to your words," he said softly. "Have you had poor experience with l'Cie in the past?"

_Poor experience_? Lightning suddenly wanted to lash out in bitterness and hurt. The hurt of the thirteen days and the war for Cocoon still haunted her – to her, the time between the fall of the planetoid and coming here hadn't been that long at all.

"Look, it's– it's just complicated, okay? I just… I've had experience," she said finally. "A lot of it."

Caius seemed momentarily concerned. "Claire–"

"Forget it," she said, trying to brush it off. "And don't worry about it, okay? It's nothing."

The gesture he made then surprised her: he reached out and took her shoulders in both hands. Both shoulders were covered by her new outfit, but she still felt his body heat through the fabric, and, somehow, that combined with the weight made her feel a teeny bit… better. There were calluses on his fingers and a sense of bone-crushing strength in their joints – something that _should_ concern her, but instead it had the _opposite_ effect. Even if she couldn't face everything on Pulse alone – and her party's little jaunt across a tiny stretch of land was a testament to that – she at least had a companion who could fight alongside her.

"I can see otherwise."

She shrugged. "If we're going on patrol, I need some rest," she said. "Catch up with you later, okay? And, Caius–" Reaching up, she gently tweaked his chin with her thumb and forefinger. "_Smile_."

He hesitated, then managed a small one.

"Better than nothing." Pulling away, she gave him a mock salute. "See you tomorrow."

They looked at each other a moment longer, then calmly separated to go in opposite directions. She headed back toward the residential quarter, rubbing her shoulder with one hand. He was bold, she had to admit, but she kind of admired that, rather used to men being either scared of her or not taking her seriously because she was female and skinny. That someone dared mess with her was refreshing.

Lightning marched back to her home without a glance back, but couldn't shake the memory of his touch this time.

* * *

_And a quick reference to Kain and Lightning's first conversation in Dissidia Duodecim (not counting Prologus) because that was an awesome conversation. As for adding clearer breaks between Serah and Noel's bits and Lightning's bits, unfortunately I can't hard-code breaks before and after the little gray line, so until I figure out something better, that's how it's going to have to be. Please stop asking me to "add breaks" when they are actually there, just not as clear as I'd like them to be._


	10. Homeland

_**Homeland**_

Serah was dreaming.

They were not complicated dreams. Usually, dreams are not complicated. Sometimes they're flashes of images in some strange order that typically only makes sense to the dreamer while dreaming but become utter anarchy upon waking. Sometimes they're seemingly random events spliced together to make a strange story. One moment, you're falling, the next you're wandering through a thick forest, and the next you're jolted awake from shock.

These were flashes of Valhalla.

Interspersed with them was an image of her sister, standing on Valhalla's seaside promenade, leaning on a rail and staring over the ocean. As she watched, the promenade turned into golden sand and Lightning's strange armor became loose-fitting casual clothing that fluttered faintly in the breeze. No longer standing, now she sat on the sand, one hand resting on her knee while the other lay beside her.

There were flashes of Cocoon on its pillar.

And then Serah flinched awake, the previously sensible dreams suddenly becoming utter nonsense. Having not been lucid for any of it, now she couldn't remember much at all. All she knew upon waking was that she was cold on one side, warm on the other, legs stiff, elbow locked. She gritted her teeth and slowly bent it. Pain shot up and down her arm, but finally it _popped_ and she could move freely again.

From the looks of things, she hadn't been asleep that long. The stars had barely moved and the moon was just kind of sitting lazily in the sky.

Yawning, she looked over at Noel. He was sound asleep, body so relaxed that it kind of splayed out, mouth slightly open, breathing deep. It was _almost_ deep enough to be faint snoring. Smiling, she looked back at the sky to study the stars… and think about her dreams.

Why was Lightning in Valhalla? And why had the image of her sitting on the beach at New Bodhum come out of that?

As she thought harder, as often happens after waking from a dream, she realized that, somewhere in there, she had seen Caius, briefly, grappling with Lightning on Valhalla's shore while bluish winged beasts fluttered around them in a mad panic. Confused, she rubbed her nose on the back of her hand. It was still cold – actually, _colder_ now that the sun was long gone for the night, and the wind dry and dead. Thankfully, there wasn't much of it now, more of a breeze than actual wind.

She snuggled closer to Noel for warmth, but had some trouble, initially, getting back to sleep.

* * *

Lightning had a brief, confusing, semi-lucid dream about a massive army and Caius transforming into Bahamut before she woke with a jolt to early morning darkness. Her sheets had been kicked around, indicating fitful sleep, while one of her pillows was halfway off the bed. Groggy, she grabbed it and pulled it back up, fluffing it and fitting it back under her head. When she couldn't go back to sleep, she instead got up.

Walking lopsidedly into the bathroom, she let her eyes adjust to the faint ambient light before flicking on the light by the door.

As it bathed the room in its yellowish glow, she studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and nightclothes wrinkled. She also smelled faintly like sweat. Within a few minutes, all of that was taken care of, though she didn't bother with a shower this morning, not feeling the need. She selected an outfit consisting of a green, partly midriff-baring top with elbow-length sleeves, knee-length pants, and practical boots. It would both protect her from the sun and keep her cool, although she wasn't fond of Paddra's style of baring so much skin. Sure, her uniform had bared quite a bit on its own, but it felt different when she'd had a jacket over the top of the ensemble.

Once everything was in place, she went outside to the predawn quiet.

There were a few people already up and wandering around. Most of them were dressed as hunters, although a few of them were dressed as hired hands or harvesters, as well. There was no sign of the group she usually ran with, so she slowed her pace to a stroll as she headed for the front plaza. As she walked and the sky grew lighter overhead, she saw other people begin their routines. By the time she reached the front plaza, the city was beginning to come alive for the day, a faint murmur now discernible.

She sat on the same bench as before, crossing one leg over the other.

A while later, Yoteri, looking groggy, shuffled into view and plunked himself down on a slab of stone. "Oh, hi," he said, and yawned. "You're up early, too."

"Always best to get going before the heat starts," she said.

He shrugged. "Sometimes, yeah. More likely to find–" A yawn interrupted him. "'Scuse me. More likely to find stuff to hunt so we can bring back some food." He whistled softly and leaned back on his hands. "Did Caius tell you if we're looking for anything in particular?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Ah." He yawned.

It was another stretch of time before Nomin showed up as well. He said nothing to either of them, picking a spot on another bench to sit down. Lightning studied him, trying to find some spark of humanity, but he appeared to be the type who never smiled or deviated all that much from focusing on his job. Still, he gave them each a once-over, and his expression _did_ soften ever so slightly, even if it remained businesslike.

Caius was the next to turn up. He stood in the center of the plaza and surveyed each of them for a bit. "You all came so early," he muttered.

Yoteri yawned. He'd been yawning frequently as he waited, though they were getting further and further apart now that he was more awake. "We want to beat the heat," he said with a one-shouldered shrug. "That's all. I guess it just means we're not stupid enough to go wallowing around in blistering heat and hundred-percent humidity – _not_ fun."

Caius half-smiled. "Ah, no, it isn't. Particularly around Titan's Falls."

"Oh, _yes_," he groaned. "Remember last summer?"

"How could I forget?"

At Lightning's curious look, Yoteri chuckled. "We did a hunt up there, you see, and it was so hot and humid that we went swimming. But even the _water_ was hot." He rolled his eyes. "We didn't find anything that day, so we gave up and went home instead."

Caius shifted his weight. "We will take the longer route through the fault this time."

Nomin spoke up now, saying, "Why?"

Caius looked at him. "It has been a long time since any of us explored that path to the Steppe."

"It might cost us additional time," Nomin said.

Caius blinked. "Perhaps."

Lightning touched her injured knee and frowned. Whatever Caius's reasons for doing what he was doing, it was ultimately none of her business as long as long as they stuck to the plan. Once Janya showed up with two other male hunters, whom she introduced to Lightning as brothers named Jai and Mitsu, one of whom led a pair of chocobos, Caius led the way out of the valley and into the pass. It was shadowy and cool here, since the sun hadn't risen high enough to cast very much ambient light just yet. At the end of the pass, he turned right and continued along the path before veering right again further on to follow a path between the cliffs toward…

Lightning smiled a little. This led to the Vallis Media, where she and the others had set up their camp.

"Keep up," Caius called over his shoulder.

Lightning realized she'd started to lag and picked up the pace.

At the end of this pass, Janya stopped and looked all around. "So much for finding something interesting," she said, sounding both disappointed and somewhat accusatory. Caius gave her a look dripping with innocence, which the woman simply didn't buy if her death glare was any indication. Yoteri walked between them, glanced at each in turn, and kept going. Janya followed; Nomin brought up the rear as Lightning walked at the middle of the group next to the two brothers, who were chatting up a quiet storm between themselves.

They walked into the Vallis Media; Lightning looked around to discover the gorge was narrower and shallower with a few jutting rock formations that weren't there in her time, some of them forming a perilous path down to the river far below.

In a moment they exited into the Steppe.

Lightning surveyed her surroundings with interest. The turf was thickly vegetated underfoot, the moss quite soft and dewy this early in the morning. Overhead, a few wispy clouds scuttled away from the rising sun. There was a tree t the right that wasn't there in her time, big and thick and absolutely carpeted in greenery from its roots to the very top of its highest point. Directly ahead, the big brown ball of Cocoon hung in the sky. All around the Steppe, as far as she could see, creatures of all sorts – the armor-plated lizards with their electric glands, great behemoths with thick black and blue skin, gorgons chasing prey, a trio of chocobos scratching in the grass – wandered all around. It was a veritable haven of walking meat.

"Ah," Yoteri said, grinning. "Lunchtime."

"Not yet," Jai said.

"Like you'd know," Mitsu muttered.

Caius shushed them. "See that spineback over there?" he said, and pointed at one of the armor-plated lizards with a silver-blue segmented shell. "Concentrate on it first."

Lightning cocked her head. "Good meat?"

"It's sweet," Janya said.

The group strung out in a line and followed Caius, whose movements she envied as he moved swiftly and efficiently over the Steppe toward the shelled beast. They carefully went around a behemoth dozing in the shade and waited for a group of gorgons to go by before continuing on. Jai kept the chocobos secured beside him.

"The trick is getting the shell busted off," Lightning muttered.

"Indeed," Caius said, nodding curtly.

"And you gotta stay away from their shock glands," Yoteri muttered. "There're a few people I know were partially paralyzed for a few minutes after getting zapped."

Lightning took this to heart as the group spread out into a semicircle surrounding the spineback. The beast slung its head around and eyed them, hissing a warning. Quickly looking it over, she spotted the tendons securing each shell section to the creature's back, allowing it to raise and lower each as it saw fit. The trick was attacking when those sections were raised, but doing so meant using someone as a distraction. Caius seemed have this handled, though, gesturing the group into another position more spread out than the first. Jai moved away, still holding the chocobos, and waited warily out of range.

As the beast looked between each of them, raising its shell – or, more appropriately, it seemed, "spines" – in a threat display, Yoteri lunged with his sword, bashing the lizard on the head. Snarling at him, it snapped its jaws, moving faster than its size would seem to allow, then lashed out with its tail to bowl Mitsu over behind it. Against six hunters, though, it was a hopeless endeavor, and within minutes the lizard was in a panic.

Just as they converged on it, Nomin killed it in one blow.

Lightning, shocked, stopped and stared at him. The tall, blue-eyed man looked pleased – if the faint change in his stony expression were any indication – and returned his weapon, a segmented staff like Fang's spear, to his back.

"Ah," Caius said to him. "Good."

Nomin gave him a nod that wasn't as stiff or stoic as usual.

Caius ordered Jai and Mitsu to guard it while the rest continued hunting. Nomin continued to look pleased.

The two brothers obediently sat on the carcass.

"What else?" Janya asked. "Are we going after a behemoth?"

"We don't need quite _that_ much meat," Caius told her, sounding amused. "No, this time, we'll–"

"Watch it!" Yoteri said as he bounded aside.

The five hunters scattered as three gorgons charged at them, snarling and panting. Yoteri tucked and rolled with his sideways leap and came up with his sword drawn and facing the beasts. That wasn't all of them, though: a moment later, four more joined the fray, snarling and barking and snapping their jaws. Before ten seconds had passed from the moment Yoteri had given the initial warning, the nine gorgons were pawing at them and trying to split them up, and in the initial confusion Lightning reacted by obeying.

Janya did as well, then changed her mind and slashed out with her two blades. She managed to knock one of them over while Yoteri took down another. Caius pitched his spear at another, but missed as it hopped sideways and the spear embedded in the turf instead. Lightning whipped out her sword and defended herself as a gorgon pounced and pinned her, scratching at her face.

She felt its claws snag her shirt, but kicked it off before it did anything more.

One of the gorgons yelped loudly.

Lightning glanced to see Caius looked pleased as he yanked his spear out of one, then gave it a swift blow to the head to crush its skull, immediately silencing it. At the sight of a fallen comrade, they bunched up a little more and tightened their defense… until Lightning reached out and slashed one across the midsection, knocking it over, then pounced on it and crushed its skull, piercing its chest with her sword. With two dead gorgons and the smell of fresh blood in the air, the rest snarled and began to back away.

"Wait a…" Yoteri trailed off, then cried, "Get ready!"

The gorgons bolted.

"Catch them!" Caius dug in and took off in a dead sprint. "_Get after them_!"

Janya whooped loudly and tore after him while Yoteri stayed behind. Lightning followed with Nomin.

The beasts ran off across the Steppe, snarling and snapping their jaws whenever Caius got too close. He carried his spear in one hand, trying to close on them, but they were faster than him, bounding away by leaping. Finally, he looked sideways at Lightning, who ran more or less parallel to him.

"Head 'em off!" he shouted.

She looked at him and smirked. "You got it!"

They split, running on either side of the beast, forcing it to fall into a feedback loop as it confusedly looked left and right, trying to find a way out of the mess it was in. When Lightning lunged, though, it leapt back – and impaled itself on Caius's spear, where it writhed and whined until he stomped on its ribcage, killing it.

"Nice!" she told him.

He smirked at her. "We'll eat good tonight!"

Janya downed another gorgon. The three then converged on two more while Nomin took off after another. Lightning ran with a bounce in her step in spite of her labored breathing and aching knee – to run across the springy turf, to see the sunrise coloring the sky with its golden hues as it lightened to blue, to feel the wind in her face blowing her hair back past her shoulders… it seemed the definition of being _alive_, and she stuck with it, grasping it, holding it close to her chest, never wanting to let it go.

Janya went after one while Lightning went after the other, and together they brought their prey down. Caius ran after one more while the others bolted out of range, escaping.

Then, suddenly, the last gorgon pivoted and leapt at him, pinning him to the ground. Lightning watched with a spark of satisfaction – and a bit of awe – as he lashed out at the snapping jaws and dripping fangs, somehow avoiding the poisonous canines as they slashed at him. She heard a harsh hissing sound ending in an animalistic growl, and it took her a moment to realize it was Caius making that sound, letting the gorgon know just how displeased he was with being pinned. As he reached for his spear, the creature tried to bite him, so he gave up and booted it off, where it landed hard in the turf.

A heartbeat later, he was on his feet, throwing his spear in a straight line. It sunk into the creature's side, pinning it to the ground.

He hurried over and quickly slew the gorgon. "At last."

Lightning checked her quarry over real quick to make sure it was dead, then hurried over to Caius's side. "Wow," she muttered. "That was fun."

He grunted. "I would not say it was 'fun'."

"Interesting, then." She took a deep breath as her body, no longer in the rhythm of running, suddenly realized that she was at rest, chest burning, heart pounding, knee suddenly aching even worse than before. Wincing, she favored it for a moment, then rubbed the sides of the joint.

He noticed. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, fine."

"Here," he said, and pointed at the ground in the shadow of a rock formation. "Rest a moment."

She made a face, but his stern expression left little room for argument. Sighing, she did as he asked. Now her body practically screamed at her to go jump off a cliff to stop the pain. Rasping slightly, she patted her chest. When was the last time she'd pushed herself that hard? Without Etro's power or l'Cie stamina, all that was left was her battle-hardened athletic body. It wasn't quite used to running across the rough terrain in the heat like that or being thrown around so harshly. She ripped up a tuft of grass as she sulked.

Caius knelt at her side. "Will you be alright?"

"Uh…" She hesitated and looked past him. If she recognized that geological formation correctly… "Is that water safe to drink?"

"Hmm?" He glanced over his shoulder. "Oh. Yes, it is."

She stood up, favoring her knee again, and shuffled over to the pool. Dropping to her knees at the edge, she bent and tested the water. It was crisp and tasted like minerals. Greedily, she scooped up more of it and drank it fast.

"Slow down," Caius said, kneeling beside her. "You'll shock your stomach."

Lightning remembered that, too late. "I noticed," she grumbled.

He half-smiled at her. "You did well today."

Lightning moaned softly and paused to nurse her cramping insides. "Thanks. It was refreshing, getting out running and hunting. Haven't felt that alive since– since–" She whistled softly and chuckled. "Been a while." As the cramps subsided a little, she bent again to drink more water, more slowly this time. "We'll make a feast out of the spineback and the gorgons, I know it. It'll be good stuff."

"It will." He took some of the water for himself before dousing his face and forearms in it. Sweeping his hair out of his eyes, he glanced at the rising sun.

Lightning looked at Cocoon. "Look at that thing," she murmured, nodding to it when he glanced at her. "Peaceful."

He frowned. "It is said that someday the armies of Lindzei and Pulse shall clash."

She sighed. "Someday," she agreed, "but not today."

He nodded. "No. No today."

She looked sidelong at him. Water droplets still hung on his skin, sparkling faintly when he moved. Part of his hair was damp from the water, sticking to his skin through a combination of clean water and sweat. He, too, breathed a bit heavier than normal, though less so than he'd been a minute ago.

"Look, Caius–" she began.

He looked at her, but that was as far as anything got before Yoteri bounded into view, bending down to the water and scooping some up to drink and splash on his skin. "Not that late and already hot," he said. "And did you notice it's getting humid too?" He paused and looked between the man and woman kneeling side by side. "Sorry, did I just interrupt something?"

Lightning chuckled, brushing off the remark. "No, not at all."

Caius cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, you did."

She glared at him.

Yoteri looked sheepish. "Oh, sorry. Let me just–" He quickly downed more water before running off again.

"No, Yoteri, you don't have–" She groaned. "Caius, was that necessary?"

"You were saying something."

"Don't even remember what it was," she admitted, standing. "C'mon. Let's take care of those things and get the meat together. I want a nice lunch and I didn't eat breakfast, so I'm pretty hungry. Let's go, you," she insisted when he glowered at her. "Get some meat on those bones."

He stood and looked at himself. "Am I so thin?"

She crossed her arms. "Kind of."

Glancing at her again, he gave her a mischievous look. "No worse than you."

Lightning deflated. "Oh, save it."

Together, they returned to pick up the gorgons, dragging them into a pile. It was then Lightning realized Nomin had already pulled the others together and was now dragging the spineback with the two brothers across the turf to join the gorgons. Janya, having noticed it was slow going, darted in to help. After a second, Yoteri joined them.

"You alright?" Yoteri moved to Janya's side once she let go of the beast by the pile of gorgons.

She squeezed her right hand with her left. "Fine, yeah."

The man was unconvinced, taking her hand and smoothing his fingertips over it. Lightning watched as he touched the calluses on her palms and traced the scratches on her knuckles. It seemed she'd strained the tendons while moving the spineback. As she stood there and blushed, he massaged her fingers, working the color back into them.

"There," he said, smiling. "Better?"

Janya flashed him a genuine smile. "Actually, yeah. Thanks."

The two brothers separated, one of them going over to the pile of gorgons, the other walking the two chocobos over and removing the loops of rope from their packs. The seven hunters lashed the gorgons together, then heaved the carcasses onto the backs of the chocobos. The spineback had to be cleaned of its weight – a messy, time-consuming business that involved skinning the beast, removing the bones, and bundling the shell pieces after getting most of the meat off. Yoteri carried the shell while the meat, once it was peeled off the bones, was separated between the rest of the hunters. By the time they started heading back, it was getting toward midday.

What seemed like forever later, they finally reached Paddra, tired but triumphant and loaded down with more meat than any of them knew what to do with.

As they paraded through the city carrying their wares, people of all ages lined the streets and plazas in fascination, some cheering, some making humorous comments and guffawing at the punch lines. Lightning, bogged down by the meat she carried slung over one shoulder, tried, aching, but pleased, smiled back at them, even grinning.

The meat was taken to a slaughterhouse at the rear of the city, nestled amongst the stone skyscrapers. Only then, in the afternoon, were the hunters finally freed of their burdens.

"Yes!" Yoteri said once they were back out in the sunshine. "Now I can get _paid_!"

Lightning grinned. "Me, too."

Nomin _almost_ looked happy, but as usual, it was hard to tell. "The meal tonight will be wonderful."

"Meal _tonight_? Nah, meal _now_!" Janya laughed to punctuate her words.

"You're right," Caius said. "We could use one."

Jai spoke up for the first time – at least, first time not involving his brother. "To the Rusty Tortoise?" he piped up, sounding eager.

When Caius laughed, Lightning was pleasantly surprised – it was such a warm, human sound, wonderful to hear, so different from what she'd heard out of him in Valhalla. It reminded her once more that this man was not the same as before. No, he was far younger, more carefree, not weighed down by burdens, not troubled by the curse locked in his breast in the future.

"Alright, the Rusty Tortoise it is," he said when he finished. "You lead the way, my friend."

Lightning, curious what the "Rusty Tortoise" was, followed in the middle of the group. The chitchat around her was quite varied, ranging from random hunting stories to Yoteri whining about the mysterious thorn jammed in his shirt to Jai and Mitsu picking on each other. She didn't join in at first, but then Yoteri asked how they would describe "the Epic Clash of the Six Hunters and the Ten Gorgons" to the kids, which got her talking. Soon, that subject took over the conversation entirely as everyone, even Nomin, joined in with arguments, advice, anecdotes, and random humor, mostly courtesy of Yoteri.

By the time they reached the Rusty Tortoise, an open-air restaurant in the east quarter of the city near the seeress's gardens, even Lightning had shared in their laughter.

* * *

_I decided to call it the "Rusty Tortoise" because that sounds like an old English pub. And kind of silly, too. What? I came up with it off the top of my head! And this time I described Light's outfit. Now no one needs to default to some other outfit for her. I hadn't even thought of doing that, mainly because I know what she looks like from scene to scene, and I didn't want to choke the prose with descriptions, but I managed to integrate it pretty smoothly. Hope you enjoyed this chapter (for those of you who've seen the draft, it's completely new)._


	11. Beautiful

_**Beautiful**_

The server, a short, slightly plump woman with blond-streaked hair, deposited a nice steak made of gorgon meat on Lightning's plate. "That's the second you've had. Aren't you full yet?"

Lightning smiled and looked around. Most of the hunters had gathered at a restaurant near the slaughterhouse to feast on the gorgon and spineback meat from earlier that day. It was beginning to wind down now, the majority of the hunters having finished their meals and disappeared, but a few remained, Caius and Nomin among them. Those two sat together, talking quietly.

"This is my last one," she assured the woman. Thanking her quietly, she added a small pile of vegetables to the plate and returned to her seat across from the men. She eyed them a little as she ate, noting Caius's somewhat displeased expression and Nomin's too-serious one and wondered what was wrong. Eventually, they stopped talking, Caius looking even more displeased while Nomin huffed and stood, leaving the restaurant.

Glancing at Caius, she frowned, then returned to her meal.

Busy finishing up, she didn't notice that Caius had finished and walked out until she looked up and saw him gone. She looked to her left just in time to see him leave the restaurant with a thoughtful expression. Quickly giving her plate back to the servers, she thanked them and headed out, catching up to him.

"Caius, wait up," she called out.

He stopped. "Claire."

"Hey, you," she said, walking up beside him, "what's wrong? You look… disturbed." When he didn't respond, she sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "Okay, fine, 'thoughtful'. Is it about the hunt? Or is it something else? Maybe thinking about something important?"

"I… I am," he said quietly. "Miyoki."

She nodded, understanding. "Thinking about the ceremony, right?"

"Indeed, I am."

She hesitated. "Maybe we should take a walk."

He cocked an eyebrow. "'We'? You would not mind?" She smiled and shook her head a little. He returned it with a half-smile of his own. "There is somewhere I know that is always serene, always beautiful. I was considering going there to help clear my head. It is along the path to the gorge we passed through to get to the Steppe."

Lightning thought about this. "That little waterfall?"

"Yes, the waterfall. The Tears of Atzilut."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Well, that isn't too far."

He nodded. "You must be careful all the same," he reminded her. "In the darkness, it is easy to miss your footing, and some of the rougher creatures come out at night. Though, I am not worried about you. You have surprised me in the past and you will do so again, I'm sure."

She shrugged. "Thanks, I guess."

"Then," he said, "we should get going. Also, watch for signs of Tesrai. They tend to keep to themselves, but it is not uncommon for them to hunt this far away from their settlement. They can be testy if encountered, so try to keep your distance if we run into them."

"Tesrai…?"

He looked momentarily surprised. "They run the mines – what they call the Mah'habara Subterra. Depending on which route you take, you may need to pass through those mines to get to Oerba. The fal'Cie Atomos frequents their land as well. Do you know of them?"

Lightning blinked at him. After a minute, she shrugged. "Sort of."

Side by side, they left the city, following the well-worn path down the pass and back out into the canyon. For a good few minutes they walked in silence. Lightning managed to keep at his side, though she had one-half to two steps to his every one, which wore her out a bit, but the brisk pace kept her alert and the scenery kept her busy. They left the pass behind, climbing down onto the grass and moss of the mountains' lower elevations, and Lightning could hear the sound of waterfalls in the darkness. With the sky darkening fast, the stars were already out, although the sunset wasn't completely gone yet.

Caius kept up a brisk pace that she managed to more-or-less match. They walked along the gorge and took a sharp turn to the right to climb down a small hill. In the shadowy pass, he picked up the pace, and Lightning matched it as best as she could. Her companion moved with enviable grace and ease, deftly threading his way through thick undergrowth and over logs and rocks that had fallen from overhead. Lightning relished the chance to truly move as she hopped, climbed, crawled, and jogged her way along the pass. Her knee seemed to appreciate it, too, the tendons and muscle loosening up as she moved.

The waterfall and its stream was just as beautiful in the darkness as it was in the middle of the day and just as peaceful, with lush vegetation carpeting the rim of the pool. Even in the darkness, medium-sized flowers bloomed, their petals reminding her of little stars having fallen from the heavens, and glowed in various colors, ranging from blue to crimson. Her companion splashed through the water, then deftly climbed the rocks on the far side and sat down on them; Lightning followed, less gracefully, but didn't miss her footing. Instead of climbing, though, she sat down on the grass at the edge of the pool.

They sat in silence for some time, letting the roar of the waterfall drown their thoughts. The cool mist floated over her, very damp, wetting her clothes, making them stick to her skin. Even when she started to feel a bit cold, she remained, enjoying herself.

"It's really beautiful," she murmured.

She heard him shift his weight above her. "I come here from time to time," he said. "It helps me relax."

She thought she heard something, but wasn't sure. "It's… peaceful." This was where they had found Hope lying unconscious on the edge of the stream, not moving and hardly breathing, it seemed, having collapsed from the sudden progression of his brand. That memory was still a bit vivid, but not too much so, not anymore, now that she had seen another side of this place.

"Did you hear that?"

Snapping out of her pleasant, trancelike state, she squinted into the shadows. "What?"

Pause. "There it is again."

"What?"

He shushed her. "Listen."

Lightning held her breath, trying to hear. There was a faint rustling sound, then a soft _whoosh_ overhead, so faint she could almost say she hadn't heard it at all, close enough to disturb the turf atop the cliff and make it rustle. She stood and moved away from the falls to hear better.

"Claire–"

She paused and looked back at him. "Do I look like a troublemaker, Caius?"

"Yes."

One eyebrow twitched. No hesitation whatsoever. "Am not."

"I really should go with you." She heard him start to do exactly that.

"No, you stay here. I'll be quick."

Pause. "But–"

"Stay." She shushed him and kept going, keeping her steps light. Here was another chance to hunt, perhaps, and bring more meat for the city. If there _was_ something out here – perhaps one of the big bat-like beasts that soared in the sky mostly over the Steppe but sometimes in the mountains – then she could handle it. Besides, it might not be that big. If it wasn't, she definitely wasn't worried.

Again came the faint _whoosh_ of something overhead, but this time, when she looked, she was just in time to see something dart across the sky.

Keeping her back against the cliff wall, she moved slow, listening. She kept one eye on the sky while the other watched for signs of ground-bound predators. As far as she could tell, there were no predators in close proximity to her, and the night was quiet except for frogs and crickets, the air very still. The scent of flowers hung in the air; she breathed it in, then coughed.

She cleared her throat. "Okay, too strong," she muttered, and continued on.

A moment later, something whisked by her ear, snagging her hair and taking some strands with it. She dropped to a crouch on instinct. There were no dark shapes around her; she frowned, looked around, then up. It was only then did she see a dark shape swooping fast across a starry sky.

Startled, she ducked in time to avoid another dive from the creature and pulled her sword. At this point it vanished into the darkness.

She waited a little longer to see if it came back. When it didn't, she briefly let her guard down.

This time, the creature snagged her shoulders. Raking her skin with its talons, it squealed, wings beating furiously around her head. She cried out, struggled a moment, then braced herself and dove forward, rolling over her shoulder to bash the creature into the ground. It went down with a fleshy _thud_. Back on her feet, she grabbed its talons and pried them off, then jerked the creature away, releasing it to send it flying. It came swooping back.

Lightning felt the blood drain out of her face. She wasn't a l'Cie anymore. She also wasn't in Valhalla and blessed with Etro's power. Here, she was an ordinary human, as her stinging scratches and aching knee would attest. She'd been trying to fight like a superhuman. It was going to get her killed.

And this… _this_ was a _small_ one!

She assumed a battle stance, wincing from her bleeding shoulders. It was then she saw a second creature flying from the stars, followed by a third. As far as she could tell, there were no amphisbaena around, but who knew if that'd change? Anyway, why did it matter? Looks like she earned this fight, so she figured she might as well enjoy it.

"Somebody's hungry," she muttered.

The first creature came for her; she slashed out and sliced into its wing, sending it crashing to the ground. The other two came at the same time; she ducked and swung her blade in an arc to fend them off.

Shouting one of her war cries that echoed off the cliffs, she fell into the familiar rhythm. It was kind of refreshing to be fighting, and she was relishing it.

The three of them together, though, were a bit much, and with her inferior speed and reflexes, grounded nature, and left only with her strength and agility, she couldn't hold out forever. It was a bit cramped in here between the cliff wall and the steep drop-off to the gorge. Trying to distance herself, she twisted and reversed to stab one, only to miss, and nick it instead. The creatures squealed and dove at her. She stabbed into flurrying wings and punctured the belly of one. The air smelled like fresh blood.

Then the grounded one unleashed an ear-piercing shriek and fell back with something long pinning it to the ground.

Lightning sensed a familiar presence and looked over her shoulder.

Caius moved with his typical unbelievable speed for such a large man, ducking to avoid one of the creatures as he went for his spear and yanked it out. "Take the other, I've got this one!" he shouted. She obeyed, driving the other back, then clipping its wing and forced it to dive away. As he handled the other airborne one, she slashed out and cut into its wing, then turned and knocked it away. It squealed and came at her again. Expecting this, she impaled it on her sword, where it flapped its wings and screamed.

She slammed it to the ground and stomped on its chest, silencing it.

With one distracted, one dead, and the other impaled by Caius's spear – or, it had been; he ripped it out and killed it with one blow – the battle was much easier. After a bit of this, the third one decided it'd had enough, turned, and flew away with grunting cries.

Lightning breathed deep, catching her breath. Satisfied, she wiped the sword off on the grass and collapsed it back into its sheath.

"I needed that," she muttered.

Caius was silent, his back to her, spear in one hand. She stared at him. Thinking maybe he hadn't heard her, she opened her mouth to speak again.

"How did you manage to do that?" he said, facing her.

"Do what?"

"The raptors," he snapped. He approached her in a few short strides, startling her into backing away. His height compared to her quickly made her feel small. "They hunt by sound at night. You know this. How did they manage to find you?"

_They hunt by sound_. Lightning sighed. "I coughed and muttered something. Sorry."

"You should've had me go with you!"

Frowning, she took careful note of his tone. It was angry, sure, but not in a… _angry_-angry sort of way, but rather the sort of angry tone she used to berate her sister whenever she did something that got her big sister worried. "I had it handled, Caius," she insisted. "It was no big deal. Honest. Besides, I wasn't going to die."

Even in the faint starlight, she could tell he wasn't pleased.

"Hey, look, this–"

"You could have gone over the edge," he snapped at her. "And you're so– so– _indifferent_ about it!"

Surprised, she folded her arms. "I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Never do that again."

"Don't plan on it, purple wonder."

"This isn't _funny_, Claire," he said. "Right now– no, _anytime_, I _cannot_ afford to lose any warriors. _Not a single one_. What would have happened if you were out of commission again, or worse? We need every able body and hand to help as we go into the harsher months."

Now she was getting irritated. "You're whining about sound, and here we are _arguing_."

"You have a sister. What would _she_ think if you died here?"

Lightning felt a twinge of hurt, which instantly set her off. "You got room to talk! You come here and fight those things when I can handle myself just _fine_!"

"What a great example it was!"

"I didn't need your help!"

"_Tough_!" This time, his tone was low and dangerous, with a fierce undercurrent. "I _will_ help you, just as I will help anyone else, just as they would help _me_."

"I can take care of _myself_, Caius! It's just me and my sister, okay? I learned to take care of _both_ of us."

"Are you hurt?"

Lightning stuttered for a few seconds. "What?"

"Are you hurt?"

For a minute, she couldn't quite understand the question. "I'm– uh, there's– I'm not–" She punctuated those words with a soft groan of frustration and flexed her shoulders. "One of them scratched up my shoulders and I got beat in the face by a pair of wings. But I'm fine oth–"

Caius moved closer, examining her shoulders as best he could in the dimness. He straightened, looked all around, snorted softly, and touched her arm below the shoulder.

"Follow me. And _stay close_."

She had about half a second after he spoke before he ran off. Every footfall seemed as light and quiet as a cat's; she envied each one individually as she followed. It turned out that mimicking him was easier said than done. She made quite the racket in comparison, ripping through tall grass when it tangled around her feet and rattling stones as she moved along his path.

Back at Atzilut's Tears, Caius slowed, staying on the shore of the pool. He pointed. "There, the waterfall. The water is clean. Rinse your cuts. Quickly, before they become infected."

She splashed into the pool. The water was cool.

As she rinsed the cuts, feeling them burn and itch, then grow numb, from the water, she fumed. Caius had the nerve to come rescue her. Oh, please. As if she hadn't already proven resourceful enough against the faeryl a couple weeks back. He hadn't needed to help her – another minute or two and she would've been fine. How many times had she handled herself in the past? How many times had she come out of nasty scrapes just fine? How many times had she not needed someone's help to–

She sighed, shoulders slumping. How many times in the past month had she been taught she couldn't do everything on her own?

Whether she'd have been fine or not, he was right. And he didn't deserve her criticism.

As she finished rinsing, she looked around to see him standing a few feet away with his head up, gazing at the stars. She looked up as well. The sky darkened from gold to black. The stars were pinpricks of light, twinkling the closer they were to the horizon except for a few steady orbs she figured were planets.

She glanced down at the water and paused. In the shallows were patches of green lichen like that of the Sulyya Springs, glowing in the darkness. Looking around, she saw that it was all over the place, even hanging in bunches from the cliff face. In some places, there were vines thick with leaves bearing green or blue flowers that glowed as well. She quickly forgot about her discomfort.

"Wow," she muttered.

She heard a splashing sound and saw Caius crouching at the water's edge, tugging on the lichen beneath it. When he brought it up, it glowed still, though a bit more dimly.

"I know you've seen this before," he said.

"Well, sure," she mumbled, "but not– not like…" She stepped out of the waterfall. "It's so beautiful."

He looked at her. "It is."

Lightning wondered what exactly he was talking about. "I'm sorry."

As her eyes finished adjusting, she saw a lifted eyebrow, faintly outlined in aquamarine light. "For…?"

"Since I got here, I've been short with you." It was an understatement, she knew, but it was close enough. "I just– I want to say– it's not you, okay? There's a lot of things on my mind. I've been takin' it out on everyone. Just– I'm really sorry."

His even gaze didn't waver in the slightest. "Is it about the l'Cie?"

"What?"

Instead of responding, he looked back into her eyes. For a moment, there was silence, filled only by the waterfall and night animals making their noises. She moved closer. Anxiety came to her stomach in the form of butterflies.

"l'Cie." She breathed the word, eyes downcast, and scuffed the turf with one toe. "I said it's nothing."

"Your eyes say otherwise," he said.

"Really, it's–" Then she faltered, thinking he was smarter than she gave him credit for. "I told you I had a sister, right? She's my only family. My parents are both dead, and she… got too close to Oerba's patron fal'Cie, Anima, and was branded. Crystallized in my arms only days later."

In Caius's eyes now, there was a touch of understanding and a bit of curiosity.

"Worse, she got engaged _while_ she was branded. Guy _knew_ she was a l'Cie and _still_ did it." Her tone sharpened; she looked up and glared at some lichen across the shallows. "My only family, and she crystallized. The fal'Cie– they… they _ruined_ my life, others'. The l'Cie ruined my life. Stole my dreams, my home, my hopes, my livelihood – they took _everything_, and it wasn't that long ago. I'm _still_ bitter. I'm _still_ angry. Had others to lean on and help me out, but– the– there's _wounds_, ones that got reopened recently. I abandoned her again. My only family. I abandoned her _again_. I was a l'Cie hunter, and I threatened to 'take care' of her, too. _My own sister_. When we were growing up, I abandoned her so I could get strong after Mom died. Did all that, and I still was a terrible sister. Worse parent. I didn't know–"

And then she stopped, just as suddenly as she'd begun, and blinked at Caius. Once upon a time, she had spilled part of the story to Hope, in Palumpolum, but so much had been left out. There was still so much pent-up bitterness and self-loathing. After all, she believed Valhalla had somehow been her punishment – punishment for kinda-imagined sins she'd committed. Now she was stuck here doing something she didn't want and helping a man she'd tried so hard to _kill_. Years of self-hate and bitterness weren't going to just go away, just like that, no matter how much she tried.

What really amazed her, though, was that she'd just spilled it all, more than she'd told her sister or Hope or anyone, to _Caius_.

Turning her back to him, she touched her fingertips to her lips, surprised at her behavior.

Then she laughed quietly.

"Is something funny?"

She felt her cheeks grow warm; her hand dropped back to her side. "Kinda," she admitted. "I never told anyone that. Not all of it, anyway."

There was silence. Hesitantly, she faced him. He was looking at her with a touch of confusion in his eyes. In spite of herself, she smiled.

"Should I be concerned?" he asked.

She smiled wider and chuckled. "No, no, 'course not," she said. "Don't be like that. I'm just– thanks. You know, for listening. People don't listen to me. They usually shut me out or shut me up. I've got all this pent-up hurt and all this _stupidness_ in my head. So, yeah, thanks for this, at least. It helps."

The smile he gave her was soft as he nodded.

His smile was infectious; hers became a little more genuine in return. "So, tell me the truth: why're we out here?"

His smile immediately vanished. She smirked.

"Oh, c'mon, Caius, you might need to do some quiet thinking, but you wouldn't have come out here unless you had someone out here with you. It's a law of your people, right? No going out alone. So, c'mon, tell me. Why did you agree to have me come with you? You can't fool me, I'm not stupid."

"Far from it."

She wondered if that were a compliment. "Anyway, what gives? There's some motive. Spill."

He looked at her for a moment, then half-smiled. "Strong, beautiful, _and_ intelligent. I suppose there's very little that gets past you, hmm?"

No one in her whole life had called her beautiful. Pretty, sure. Sexy, once. Poor guy got a death glare that stopped him from saying _that_ ever again. But "beautiful"? No. People didn't call her that. People _did not_ call her beautiful, not by any stretch of the imagination. She wasn't beautiful. By the standards of Cocoon and her reckoning, she was pretty plain. Not that she had ever much cared. Her whole life had been about uniforms, soldiers, and guns.

The blush that crept to her cheeks was totally unbidden.

"I needed to get away," he said. He turned away before he could get a good look. She wanted to douse herself with the cool water of the falls to stop the stupid blush. "My mind's been on my mentor's impending death. I have known him all my life," he said, more quietly, "and although I have prepared myself, the prospect is still… unpleasant."

She suspected that was an understatement. "It'd be like me killing Amodar," she muttered.

"Hmm?"

"The guy who trained me and pulled strings to get me promotions I didn't want," she said, smirking. "I barely know Miyoki. He seems like a grouchy old man to me."

Caius made a soft sound of agreement. "He has his reasons."

"Right. Gorgyra."

"He blames himself for what happened and never forgave himself for not putting her out of her misery. He had the chance," he added, glancing over his shoulder at her. "The perfect chance. He was with a hunting party, and they came across her. But, he turned back, unable to make himself do it. Due to that, he considers himself a coward."

"Doesn't talk about it?"

"Doesn't like to. And don't try. You are far more likely to get silence or a harsh reproach than any sort of answer."

The man sounded like her old self. "I kind of pity him."

"He doesn't like that, either."

"Well, fine, I'll just pity him more."

"Claire," Caius began, but he cut himself off with a snort. "You are a stubborn woman. Do as you wish."

"I will." Pause. "Why not come out here alone?"

"You saw the raptors."

"Point."

"Besides, you have been unable to go anywhere or do anything because of your injury. I thought perhaps this would do you some good."

She half-smiled. "It does. These flowers, and the lichen… it's all really pretty. Relaxing, even."

"Indeed, it is."

"You still haven't answered why you were okay with me going with you."

He sighed softly. "You are one person who seems to… hear me. I feel as though I could talk to you about anything at all. As if you have been through many of the same things."

She studied him carefully. Was she the only person who dared make him talk about things weighing on his mind? Was she the only one brave enough to do it? It was just something she did, getting things out of people by talking and getting _them_ to admit their failures or their triumphs, which they sometimes did without thinking. Such things got them talking to her whether she liked it or not. That was perfectly alright with her.

"How are your cuts?" Caius asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh–" Lightning flexed her shoulders. "First off, they're _scratches_, and they're just fine."

"Here." Caius stooped, felt around a moment, then tore up a piece of vegetation. Lightning watched curiously as he stripped the leaves and shoots off a central shaft. Crushing it all in both hands, he doused it in water, crushed it a little more, and held out both hands to her. "This will help."

"Uh–"

"Use it on your cu–" He made a face for a second. "Pardon me, _scratches_. It will help them heal."

Lightning half-smiled in amusement and embarrassment. Even when she was in Blitz Squadron and surrounded by men who considered her one of them, no one had ever been this concerned for her welfare. Well, maybe that was just Caius's style: chivalry.

Moving closer, she examined the contents of his hands. It was a grayish-green paste that had an herbal reek to it. She scooped it out and smoothed it over her scratches. It stung, then cooled, drowning out what pain there was left.

"Hey. Thanks."

Caius rinsed the rest of it off in the waterfall. "Of course."

Silence fell for a bit. They looked at each other; Lightning fiddled with the hem of her shirt, trying not to look as though she were looking Caius over, although she was. His face was so familiar, the same eyes and lips and basic structure, but there was a youth and freshness that'd never been there in Valhalla. So many lines were missing. Even his stance was different. Was it really the same man? No, she supposed it wasn't: this Caius was over a thousand years younger with almost none of the experiences of the other. While he had the same soul and voice and smirk, he was a different person. Someone new. Someone she didn't know.

Someone she had to protect.

At this thought, the weight of the future and the world resettled on her. Ducking her head, she winced. Already she was getting too comfortable, forgetting the importance of her purpose. How much time had she lost just being here and getting to know him? How much longer did she have?

"Had enough?" she muttered.

He tilted his head. She realized for the first time that many of his adornments were missing, leaving just loose hair sifting over his shoulder. "Tired?"

She shrugged. "A little."

"A few more minutes," he said, looking away. The draft from the waterfall stirred his hair, aqua highlights shifting and dancing. It was almost hypnotizing to look at. "Then we can go back. I promise."

Lightning sat down on a rock, intertwining her fingers. "Fine with me."

He sighed. "Thank you."

A little curious, she looked at him. He climbed back up onto the rocks to sit down on them again. "For what?"

He chuckled. "Coming out here with me."

"Oh." She rested her chin on her knees to watch the waterfall. "Don't mention it."

* * *

_I'm so sorry for the delay in getting a new chapter up! My life is pretty busy and I'm very tired almost every day, so I forget things very easily. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do stick around for the rest!_


	12. The Gorgon

**The Gorgon**

Serah felt very stiff, waking slowly from where she had been sleeping throughout the night. There was a second of panic when she felt another body against her side, but then she remembered it was Noel. Stretching and sighing, she pried herself from his side and stretched her arms over her head. The daylight had come, the sun up in a golden-blue sky. That color scheme was in direct contrast to the earth below with its twisted brown trees and gravelly gray hillsides.

Trying not to disturb him, she stood up out of the alcove and away from Noel. He didn't stir. Her side, once nice and warm, was now shockingly cold from the breeze. The place around her shoulders where Noel had embraced her to keep her warm was also getting uncomfortably cold. Still, she was grateful he had offered to keep her warm at all and wished she could have stayed there a few seconds longer.

_Just five more minutes, Mom. Five more, I swear_!

Serah smiled at the memory. That day near the beginning of summer, when the school days were beginning to grow lethargic as students stopped caring about homework in favor of the quickly-nearing summer days. On the last day of school, back when she was about twelve years old, she had begged Mom to let her stay in bed a little longer. Of course, her mother had insisted the girl get up, since her sister Claire had been up for an hour already. If only the two girls had known then that that would be the last time they would ever see their mother as she should have been forever: strong, beautiful, firm, kind.

Unbidden, tears tickled her eyes. She missed her, and knew Lightning did, too. The sisters never talked about it if they could, as it'd been less than ten years since she had passed away and it was still a memory that hurt too much. Lightning was no substitute, and she knew it, but tried anyway. Reminding her of that, though, was a sure way to make her start to cry, too.

Their mother had been a strong woman. The death of their father, her one and only husband, had shaken her, but she had pushed on and carried his memory in her heart. Nothing shook her for long, even though right up to the moment she died, the girls sometimes found her crying when she thought no one was watching.

Serah dried her eyes and sniffled. Could she be like that? When the time came and she and Snow were one, could she be even half as strong?

It was a prayer she had repeated over and over ever since their engagement.

She quickly brought herself back to the present and shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked around. In the morning sun, the ruins looked a lot less menacing. There were leafless weeds wrapped around the remains of old buildings and trees jutting up where the house's front porch had been. The dock jutting out into the water was still there, although now it jutted over bare rock and earth instead of sand and whispering waves. The houses standing in the shallows were piles of scrap metal now. The wood had long been swept away.

As she thought of all the memories, smiles, tears, and life here, so long ago, she could no longer hold back and let the tears fall.

"…Serah?"

Quickly, she wiped them away. "Yeah, Noel. I'm here. I just didn't want to wake you."

The young man unfolded, joints snapping. "Ow. Sleep okay?"

"Yep. Thanks. But you're bony."

He rubbed his shoulder. "Oh. Sorry. Not much I can do about that…"

"It's fine. At least we were warm."

"Exactly. I think it dropped below freezing." Rubbing his arms, he walked up beside her. "Huh. It looks different in the sunlight, you know?"

She nodded, glad she wasn't the only one who noticed. "Well, we should look for a way out of here. I don't think the distortion we came through will help us get anywhere. Maybe there's another one around here somewhere," she added under her breath.

Noel glanced over his shoulder. "It sure is pretty."

"What?"

"Cocoon on its pillar." He seemed to hesitate for an abnormally long time before looking at her. "Hey, you know, I just thought of something. Doesn't it seem like, I don't know, like something's really wrong? Like, Cocoon shouldn't be up there like that?"

Noel and Serah gazed at each other for a minute. At first, she wondered what he was talking about. Hadn't it been up there for centuries, peaceful as always? But then a thought crept into her head, one that confused her at first, but it grew clearer until her mouth fell open. Flexing her fingers, she glanced at Cocoon, then back at Noel with widened eyes.

"You're right," she murmured. "It shouldn't. It fell, before your time. I mean, you don't remember it, right?"

"No. There's an image, but it's so fuzzy…"

Serah felt goosebumps rising all over as her mind drifted to Lightning, waiting patiently in New Bodhum. Now she remembered why she and Noel had been traveling into the future: to prevent the fall of Cocoon. But if that was the case, why hadn't Lightning gone instead? Her sister was significantly more qualified, even with a knee injury that flared up once in a while.

"Noel," she murmured, "let's go find a way out of here. There might be a gate or something."

Noel didn't respond.

"Noel?" Serah turned, and saw that he was gazing– no, he was _staring_ up at Cocoon, eyes glassy, fingers splayed at his sides. A twinge of fear, cold as ice, settled into her heart. "Noel? Hey, are you okay? Noel? _Noel_!" With the third utterance of his name, she grabbed his arm with both hands and yanked on it.

And just like that, Noel looked at her and blinked. "What?"

"What's _wrong_ with you?"

Noel looked confused now. "What're you talking about? I'm fine. Just looking at Cocoon. It's pretty in the morning, don't you think?"

"But it's not supposed to _be_ there."

He pried himself away from her at this remark. "Serah, don't be like that. Cocoon's been up there for seven hundred years. I grew up in its shadow. Remember Hope telling us about his metashield? It kept Cocoon up in the sky even as it eroded. It's got plenty of support. Everything's _fine_, Serah, come on."

Horrified, Serah released him and stepped back. _Everything's fine_? How? Cocoon was _not_ supposed to be up there! That's what they were traveling to prevent: the crystal pillar from failing and the weight of Cocoon collapsing into Gran Pulse. They were trying to fulfill her sister's wish. They were trying to prevent a horrible future, the one that Noel had come from.

The one Noel had suddenly forgotten.

"Um, Noel, let's just– let's go, okay? We were going to see Snow."

"I know, I didn't forget." He looked around a moment, then pointed. "See that? There's something out by the reefs. Wasn't there before. Looks familiar. Think it might be a gate of some sort. Well, c'mon, we can use it to go back to the Coliseum and see your fiancé." He patted her shoulder. "Sooner we get that done and what we came for, the sooner you get home to Lightning and normal life."

Serah gawked at him. If they weren't after Cocoon anymore, _why_ were they traveling? None of this made any sense at all. And how had Noel just _forgotten_?

"Noel–" she began, then changed her mind. Why did it matter?

Still, she was anxious, and jogged after Noel. Sure enough, there was a golden distortion down there, serene as any of the others. Noel jogged down what remained of the beach, following the slope to the distortion. Serah glanced over her shoulder at Cocoon and felt a strange urge to keep staring. She forced herself to look away.

"Here," Noel said. "This should at least take us back to the Historia Crux."

Serah nodded. "Yeah."

Sure enough, it did, and within moments the pair was stumbling out of the gate in the Coliseum, shaking their heads to try and get the confusion of trans-dimensional travel out. As soon as she was coherent enough, Serah walked down the steps to the center of the Coliseum, looking all around.

"Snow!" she shouted. "Snow, are you here?"

"Serah?" came the reply.

The woman pivoted in place, looking around some more in a near-fruitless attempt to find her fiancé. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she took a breath. "_Snoooooooow_!"

"Serah!"

This time, the reply was much clearer, and she spun to see Snow standing across the Coliseum in a place that had been empty moments before. Serah felt something prick at her eyes. She had spent such a long time not telling him how she felt, not letting him know how much he meant to her, not breathing a word of thanks and not giving him a single action that would tell him she appreciated every moment of his precious time he gave her. Snow had been willing to face all of Cocoon for her. He had left her safe in New Bodhum and traveled through time and space, all because of her concern – though concern for what, she didn't quite know.

"Snow," she breathed, and ran toward him.

"Whoa, Serah, is there someth–" But he immediately shut up when she reached him and threw her arms around him, having to hop off the ground to get her arms around his shoulders. He was surprised, she could tell, but quickly got over it and encircled her waist. "Serah, hey, what's the occasion?"

"The occasion," she mumbled into his shoulder, "is that I've never really told you how much you mean to me."

Snow stammered for a second. "How much I… mean? To you? What?"

She chuckled softly. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too. And I knew that."

"I never _told_ you I loved you, Snow," she said. He lowered her so her feet touched the ground again, at which point she straightened and stepped back a bit to look up at him. "Never, ever, in all those months. You ran off because I was all worried about something, and then I ran off to save the world, even though Lightning should've been the one to go, so I never got the ch–"

"Wait, _Lightning_?" Snow looked confused, blue eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, she should've been the one?"

"She had a knee injury and couldn't go."

Realization seemed to dawn over his face; he smiled and hugged her. "Of course. She's totally safe in New Bodhum. Totally safe. Not in Valhalla. Not missing. Safe. All safe. All better."

"In… Valhalla? How do–"

"Don't worry." He used the soft, soothing voice that always made her feel at peace, stroking her hair before holding her back again with a smile. "It's nothing. It's just that I've been watching the timeline change from here, and you just answered a big question. It's fine. Everything's fine."

Serah noticed his use of the same words Noel had used in New Bodhum, but didn't point it out. Instead, she hugged him again, burying her face in his chest. "I love you."

"Huh?"

She giggled. "I love you, you big silly bear."

There was a soft, awkward coughing sound from behind. Both of them turned to see Noel standing near the steps and looking uncomfortable. Serah grinned; Snow rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Noel."

The brown-haired boy shrugged. "I'm just amazed," he admitted. "Where I came from, people didn't have time for things like this. They didn't get to call each other pet names, or waste time because they loved each other. Every day was a war, every moment a fight to survive. I wish–" And then he hesitated, chewing his lip. "I wish I could get the same thing."

Serah moved away Snow. "You miss Yeul, huh?" When he didn't respond, she smiled. "It's okay, I can tell. For you and her, you were pretty much adults. You didn't live as long as we do. You loved her. That's why you miss her."

Noel looked down and suddenly seemed very small. "Yeah."

"We'll get moving, okay?" she said, and looked back at Snow. "You said you've been watching the timeline change. Can you think of any reason why Noel would just _forget_ why we're traveling? We were trying to save Cocoon, and now it's just sitting on its pillar wherever we go."

Snow made an interesting face. "Did he look at Cocoon?"

"Yeah."

"There's something I saw in my time-gazing," he murmured. "It's called a 'gorgon'. It's a disturbance that makes anyone gazing at it to remember only the timeline when it's there, kind of a crossroads of all timelines, where everything intersects before splitting again. Look at it too long, and your original memories will disappear. Maybe that's what happened: Cocoon's a gorgon. Just think, it was there when chaos came into the world, it was there when it was stopped from falling, it was at the center of enough visions. It makes sense that it'd be something important."

Serah paled. "So, if I were to look at Cocoon – if I looked at it for a _second_ too long–"

"Exactly."

She rubbed her nose. "Okay. No looking at Cocoon. It's just not supposed to be there. Something's really wrong."

"No." Snow took her hand in both of his. "Nothing's wrong. Don't worry."

Serah wasn't convinced. "We have to keep moving."

Snow looked a little sad. "Be careful."

She was having a tough time pulling herself away from him, feeling fear in her heart again. "One more thing," she said. "Caius. We haven't seen him for a long time. Have you seen him?"

Snow hesitated before saying, "Yeah."

"Where?"

"Uh, well–" She saw him look past her for the briefest of moments. It was enough. "He's, uh, he's here, actually."

Serah and Noel spun around at the same time.

Pause. "Where?"

Snow looked down at her. "In an alcove. Don't worry, he's not causin' trouble. Just kind of sitting and being quiet. I tried to ask him what was up, but he just kind of looked at me. He looks irritated and kind of, I don't know, sad."

Serah scanned the area. "Where is he?"

"Not on ground level." Snow lifted an arm and pointed. "Up there, in the alcove. He's– oh, here. Hold on."

She saw Noel go halfway into a battle stance with a hand on his weapon; Serah moved away from Snow and stood at the boy's side. Caius descended from the alcove; she noticed his sword was missing and his eyes weren't really "seeing" them so much as looking right through them. In fact, the man looked disconnected from the world entirely.

"Find what you're lookin' for?" Snow called out.

Caius gazed back at him for a moment, looking momentarily irritated, but Serah saw the sadness, too, along with something else – something bittersweet, she supposed. When he moved closer, she heard Noel lift his two blades and assume his battle stance. Serah started to do the same, but made the mistake of looking into the man's dark eyes.

She reached out to lower Noel's blades in turn. "Wait."

Noel sounded puzzled. "What?"

She and Caius stared at one another in silence for only a few seconds, but it was more than enough. In his eyes was a soul-crushing sadness and bittersweet joy and anguish. She couldn't name the emotion. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Did it have to do with Yeul?

"No." Caius responded to Snow's query with one word and a shake of the head. "Even here, I cannot be free. There is nowhere left to go."

"Go?" Serah squinted at him. "Go where? Why? What're you doing here?"

Caius didn't seem to hear her, instead closing the distance between him and Snow. "You have seen the timeline, all of history, and all its possibilities. You know how it begins and how it ends. Is that not so?"

Snow folded his arms. "What's it to you?"

"If you have seen the entire timeline, then you know _exactly_ what it is to me."

Serah was doubly confused now. She suspected, though, that whatever Caius was talking about, Snow understood, because the two men looked at each other with understanding she didn't feel. Beside her, Noel sheathed his swords with a grunt.

"I cannot escape my fate."

Snow cocked an eyebrow. "Change the future, change the past."

"_No_." Caius seemed to spit the word out without thinking before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Why? It will be as if none of this ever was. You are one of two who will remember, and only the two of you will ever know what could have been. My first instinct is to stop it. My heart prays that I let it be."

Snow lifted the other eyebrow. "Not even for Yeul?"

"Not even for Yeul."

"Why?"

Caius moved a little closer, to within two arms' length of the tall blond man. It was a strange contrast, the tall pale-haired hero and the tall dark-haired man whose motives were not entirely clear, of nearly equal height, standing and facing each other without raised weapons or voices. It was just a discussion in a language she didn't understand, one she believed should remain alien to her.

"You, too, know how it ends for you," he murmured, "but your pain shall be temporary. Mine will last forever."

Snow nodded. "I know."

"Dare I?" Caius seemed to be speaking to himself for a moment. "Dare I sweep aside these memories for the sake of my precious charge? Or should I let it be, knowing the result will silence the pain forever?" A sad smile spread across his lips, softening his features. To the onlookers, the change was startling. "For all my attempts at creating a fixed point, a mere human cannot close every loophole. I should have known there would be one, just one, I would overlook."

Snow gazed steadily at him. "You ready to let it go? Let it happen? Let the rest of the world be okay for a change?"

"Yes," Caius replied with a nod.

"No, you're not. You're just as stubborn as–" Then he hesitated and looked at the onlookers. "Not that it matters, right? But you never know. Besides," he said, "you're not a slave to time. You can change this, too. You can send messages to yourself in the–"

"Not for anyone or anything," he said, "would I change this."

Pause. "Then I'm confused."

"As am I, my friend."

Serah and Noel exchanged glances that very clearly said, _my friend_?

Then Snow half-smiled and tapped his chest with one fist. "Don't worry," he said. "Whatever happens, whether you find a way to win or time gets reset, this won't ever be forgotten. The two of us, we'll be the guardians of memories that're forever lost to the world. Nothing's ever really gone if it's remembered."

Caius's usually-stout shoulders slouched. "I know, too well."

"You of all people."

"Memories are good, but in the end that is all they are: memories," Caius said quietly. "If there is nowhere for me to go, then I will take my leave."

"You _could_ stay."

"And fade away as the rest of the world comes into focus? No," he said sadly, "I will vanish as I was cursed: alone."

Snow relaxed his arms, sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault."

"Then find someplace to be at peace, alright? Don't think too much."

Caius nodded. With that, he turned away, walking toward the gate at the top of the stairs. Serah and Noel watched him go, Serah weighed down with curiosity that threatened to swallow her whole. He had begun to ascend the stairs when he hesitated and looked back.

"Do you…" His hesitation was longer than ever, and he started to speak several times before sighing. "Do you think she will forget me?"

Snow looked like the most understanding soul in the world. "You've seen the timeline," he said. "You know how it ends. _Of course_ she won't forget you."

Serah wondered who "she" was.

Caius looked sadder than ever. Serah felt her heart break as she wished she knew what was going on. Why was he sad? What was happening to the timeline? How come she and Noel couldn't know about it?

And then he was gone, and they were alone.

Serah wasted no time. "We need to get moving," she said, walking back to Snow's side. "I'd ask what happened, but you won't tell me. You two understood, and that's what matters. But you have to tell me sometime, okay? Sometime in the future, when this is all over."

Snow hugged her against him. "Be safe."

Serah hesitated, then stepped back and leaned up to do as she had long wished. Snow compensated for the distance between them and kissed her. It was just a brief kiss, but enough, enough to wake every nerve in her body and send a shot of adrenaline through her system. She missed her fiancé, so badly. When this was all over and she was back home and safe, he wouldn't be able to escape. They would be together, always and forever, and nothing would ever pry them apart again.

"And Noel?" Snow called out, pointing at the boy. "You keep her safe, okay? Look after her. I'm counting on you."

Noel nodded. "You bet."

* * *

_Quick notice: this site appears to have had an issue with their email server a few weeks back, as I received a message when I logged in one day, telling me that their emails had bounced back and thus all alerts had been disabled. If you or anyone you know have received this error and since then have NOT received any email alerts for stories, authors, and so on, try going to your alert settings and checking them. They may not have been reset automatically. I also bring this up because my regular reviewers have pretty much disappeared, so unless everyone suddenly got super busy, I'm guessing your alerts got turned off by the site and you didn't notice this story or any others you're subscribed to was updated. I really hope y'all liked this chapter, by the way - it was one of my very favorites to write in this whole story. Cheers!_


	13. Academia

_**Academia**_

The morning dawned bright and clear. Lightning woke up later than expected, worn out from the trek the previous night. Caius left once they got done eating, citing exhaustion, and they went their separate ways to their respective homes. Lightning had had enough energy to gulp down a snack, put on her nightclothes, and collapse into bed. Five minutes later, she was hard asleep.

From then on, things suddenly got very busy.

Starting that morning, Caius dragged her into the hunters' group and introduced her to hunters she hadn't met. At first, Lightning wasn't sure how to react to these people, but with the exception of a couple of strong-and-silent types, all of them were friendly, welcoming her with smiles – some shy, some ecstatic, some merely polite. At about nine that morning, maybe half an hour after she'd woke up, they merged into a massive group and ran off to another section of the city, one dedicated to the culture of Paddra. It was here that she was first introduced to a tradition of the hunters: a big, hearty breakfast.

Every two weeks, the hunters (those primarily on the morning and afternoon shifts, anyway) all gathered in a plaza covered by a temporary canopy to eat their fill. Caius led the group there, so she got to listen to conversations they had on the way, even getting in on a couple of them. Soon, she felt herself loosening up, memorizing their names. Janya and Yoteri were there. Nomin was there, along with women named Freya, Ara, and Mitai, and a tall, broad-shouldered, talkative man called Spry. That wasn't his name, he was quick to tell her. It's just what people called him, because he was "so spry".

Lightning thought this was roll-your-eyes lame.

Once they reached the breakfast plaza, Lightning blinked in shock. There was plenty of room in the center to sit at temporary tables, while the food line encircled it. Vendors ladled, scraped, scooped, flipped, and plopped all sorts of food onto fairly sizable plates. "Wow," she mumbled.

"And it's all free for the hunters," Yoteri said with a lopsided smile.

After a moment, Caius entered the line first, apparently tired of waiting for someone to take the initiative, and the others quickly followed. Lightning was the last in line, so she was still waiting after the others had sat down. By the time she reached the end, she had meat, vegetables, three kinds of fruit, rice, eggs, and a sweet-smelling blue drink and was trying to find a place to sit.

"Over here." Yoteri's voice cut through the racket. When she spotted him, he smiled and waved, gesturing to the one open chair across from him. It was beside Caius. Feeling suddenly shy, she plunked herself down.

"Welcome to the family," Spry said, and guffawed.

Lightning winced. With one of the smoothly-polished wooden sticks she'd been given – there were two of them, the same length – she stabbed a piece of meat. Someone snickered; Spry laughed even louder.

"What?" she asked.

Beside her, Caius snickered. "You use both of them, Claire."

"Huh– oh." Feeling stupid, she watched as Yoteri demonstrated. Caius was using them with practiced precision, just like everyone else. A few moments later, she got them in her hand correctly and began to eat. "So, only once every two to three weeks?"

"It's worth it." Yoteri picked up a chunk of scrambled egg – golden yellow and pure white fluffed to perfection – with the twin sticks and stuffed it in his mouth. "Oh, by the way," he said, waving the sticks and talking with his mouth a bit full, "what'd you two do?"

Caius gave him a blank stare. Janya, sitting beside Yoteri, snorted. "Yoteri, c'mon, swallow. Manners."

He chewed and obeyed. "Y'know. Last night. You and Claire went out."

Lightning didn't miss the implication. "Exploring."

"And what else?"

"Exploring," Lightning said.

"Sure you weren't enjoying the beautiful night together?"

"Yes," she deadpanned.

There was silence for a bit as everyone either chewed or stuffed their mouths. Spry started telling a hunting story, and Yoteri got a glassy-eyed look that told her this wasn't a new one, but it nevertheless got a laugh out of just about everyone present. It was something about a fish, a fal'Cie, and a chocobo, and while she didn't understand all of it, Lightning still laughed.

It was only then that it hit her: the vision in Valhalla, of her sitting with unrecognizable faces, talking and laughing, was here. That second, she felt a rush of life and warmth. This was how things used to be, back before her parents died, back before she'd had to grow up so fast: happy.

Taking a chance, she glanced at Caius. He seemed to look in her direction at the same time, and for an instant, their eyes met.

And whether he knew it or not, in that instant, he gave her the warmest smile she'd ever seen.

Not an arrogant smirk.

Not a haughty leer.

A real smile.

His eyes were amethyst, she noticed, a shade of blue with enough red accents to take on a purple sheen, and in the right light – like here, under the canopy – they had a dark blue color to them. It was deepest around the pupil and faded to a pale violet at the edge of the iris. Even after he looked away, she found herself gazing at them a second longer. All those times, right up in his face, and she'd never noticed all the different hues in the iris – blue and violet mostly. They were… rather pretty.

He looked back at her. She chastised herself for staring too long; to look away now would make her seem guilty.

"Yes?" he asked.

Could she be honest? What would it hurt to be honest? It might make her seem like she was interested in him. She just thought his eyes were pretty. But what other choice did she have? In the span of three seconds, briefly stuttering to cover her thinking process, she sorted through all her options and settled on blowing it off.

"Nothin'," she said, smiling.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You'll go with us on a scout run," he said. "Yoteri, Janya, you, and I need to go back to the Steppe to check on our livestock. Nomin, you'll remain here with the others," he added when the blue-eyed man looked at him. "Are you up to it, Claire?" he asked, returning his gaze to her.

She smirked. "I can handle it."

"You seem worn thin. Was the late night too much for you?"

Picking up her sticks, she jabbed them at him mock-threateningly. "Caius," she said, waving them a little, "I swear, if you keep mocking me, I'm gonna have to take some drastic measures to shut you up. Quit being so pathetic. I'm just fine. See?" She leaned back a little and gestured at herself. "Great."

His lips twitched. "I can see that."

"Don't be sarcastic."

"Who said anything about sarcasm?"

"You're bein' sarcastic right n– well, that was more like 'feigned innocence', but you _were_."

"I am _not_ trying to feign innocence, Claire." He stared evenly at her as he said this; she stared right back.

"You were being sarcastic."

"I was not."

"Now, now," Yoteri put in, patting his hands in the air, "we don't like it when mommy and daddy fight."

Caius and Lightning looked at him in turn, then each other, and went back to breakfast. She stabbed her food and pushed a bit of egg around.

Once breakfast was over and everyone was free, the hunters prepared to head off into the wilds. Lightning had to run back and get her sword, while Yoteri had to quickly get his weapon as well, but within half an hour they were out following the same trail they'd followed together when she first arrived. The terrain didn't seem as rough this time as she was a bit more used to it, and even her knee didn't bother her this time. When they scaled the cliff, she got up easily enough, slipping on some moss near the top but quickly righting herself. The sun beat down on her shoulders, very hot, making sweat pop out on her skin, as she scrambled up onto grass quickly drying in the heat. Behind her, Yoteri was the last to climb up.

As it had been before, the plain up here was beautiful, peppered as it was with trees, rock formations, and patches of thick vegetation. The sheep were still around in clumps here and there, as if fluffy summer clouds had alighted on the grass to eat. Every so often, someone bleated. She noticed about half the sheep were sheared.

"Same as before – count," Caius said.

Yoteri bounded off in one direction while Janya went another and Lightning took the fourth direction. This path took her off toward a batch of sheep standing near a basalt formation jutting out of the ground and slanted. In its shadow, they patiently mowed the grass and ripped up great tufts of what seemed to be broad-leafed weeds. None of them objected to her inspection. Most of them belonged to Paddra, but a few had unfamiliar yellow marks.

Lightning paused at the side of one. "Who do you belong to?"

The sheep _bahhed_ and ate more grass.

Frowning, she smoothed a hand over the freshly-sheared body before straightening and shielding her eyes from the still-rising sun. She turned her back to the rock formation.

Something _whizzed_ overhead.

Gasping softly, she sidestepped and flipped out her sword, looking around. Some distance away, an arrow was partly embedded in the soil, several yellow feathers bound to the end and twitching in the faint breeze. Before she could do anything else, another arrow went flying by, and it was only then, when it embedded _much_ further away and in the direction of Caius, did she realize what was going on.

"Caius!" she shouted.

He was quite a ways off, but looked at her when she called his name. A moment later, two arrows came flying from behind her at once, ignoring her completely and going for him. Despite the situation, she admired the archery: the arrows were so stable that they flew in a long arc and with beautiful accuracy; she ran toward their target as the other two hunters tried to meet her as well.

"Caius," she panted when she reached him, "who's closest to here?"

He frowned. "Tesrai, the plains-dwellers."

"Tesrai?" She looked back at the rock formation. "I think you're their target."

_Snick_. He sidestepped away from an arrow that sunk into the clay to the right of him and behind – if the wind hadn't picked up a little _just_ then, it would have struck _him_ instead. "You may be right," he murmured, and looked at the rock formation as well.

"But why w–"

A hail of arrows, black against the sky, sailed over the rocks. Caius took off, shouting over his shoulder, "Later!"

"No shelter here!" Janya felt the need to point this painfully obvious fact out as more arrows came for them. "Think we're trapped or somethin'!" There was a hostile look in her eyes while she held her twin blades tight in both hands, watching the rocks and ready to move. "How'd they find us?"

"Why does it matter?" Lightning snapped. "Why would a fellow nation try to _kill_ us?"

"Not 'us', _me_," Caius corrected her.

"You're the next Guardian," Yoteri said, but she suspected it was more for her sake than anyone else's. "Look, we can talk about the politics of international conflict later, alright? This happens sometimes, Claire. Right now, we just need to get out–"

"Cai–" she tried to say.

The figure snapped its hand, from which came a bright pearl of energy, as she spoke. It flew fast; she shoved her companion off to the side, which forced her to take the brunt of the impact. It blasted her off her feet and knocked her some distance, where she finally landed within ten feet of the edge of the cliff. Her vision swam and her knee suddenly throbbed like she'd landed on solid pavement knee-first. The sunlight abruptly switched off; only by blinking did she realized someone was blocking it.

"Claire!" a familiar voice called to her. "Can you–"

Hissing, she forced herself to her feet. "Don't worry about me!" she snapped at him. "You–" Her knee gave out and she half-collapsed, barely managing to get the rest of her weight on her good leg instead. "Caius, get–"

There was a small explosion, and suddenly he was gone.

Horror flooded her, suddenly giving her fresh strength as adrenaline pulsed through her veins, as the force of the blast tore Caius right off his feet… and sent him over the edge to the valley floor.

Noel and Serah stumbled out of the gate coughing and sputtering. She seemed to be allergic to time travel, or else the constant running back-and-forth was getting to her. Ignoring her headache, which had been festering for some time now, she stumbled a few more steps before coming to a halt, looking around. Beside her, Noel finally stopped coughing.

"We're here," she breathed, looking around. It was Academia, only it looked different than the last time they had visited. There were no people on the streets and the sky was pink with a sunset. The enormous buildings were not as polished and shiny as they had been in their last visit. Things were quiet – no vehicles flying by, no sign of life at all. Serah glanced around, first in curiosity, then confusion.

"Noel," she muttered, "notice something?"

The dark-haired boy came up beside her. They looked at each other. "It's too quiet. Think maybe–" He hesitated, squinting dead ahead. Across the labyrinthine steel canyons formed by the silent skyscrapers were the still-gleaming spires of the Academy. Between the two tallest ones, Hope's new Cocoon could be seen, still tethered. Serah had a strange feeling as she gazed at it, thinking that something was off about all of this. "Yeah. Bet he's here. We gotta find him."

For the briefest of seconds, Serah wondered who "he" was. "Even after everything that's happened, he's still going through with his plan?"

"Serah," he pointed out, "we haven't exactly given him a reason _not_ to."

"Then where's everyone run off to?"

Noel started to answer, but before he could say anything, his eyes glazed over a little, and he seemed confused. "I guess… he's trying to interrupt history. Force the prophecy to happen after all. In two hundred years, Cocoon's still standing, but he's tryin' to bring it down _now_. So everybody ran off, getting off the ground, finding shelter if he gets it done, if he succeeds."

Serah shifted her weight uneasily, rubbing her arms and once again cursing her choice of dress. The wind was soft, but colder than she was used to, like the sad future they'd seen a short while ago. "C'mon. There might be someone around who can tell us what's going on."

She darted off alongside Noel, who took a second to follow before keeping pace with her easily enough. They ran across the bridge spanning the abyss in the center of the city. It stretched for a fair distance, the belts ferrying traffic at a dead stop. As they ran, Serah became unnerved, uneasy, thinking something was wrong but unable to tell _what_.

"Serah!" Noel shouted, and grabbed her arm, suddenly jerking her back.

Serah yelped, stumbling. "What the–?"

Ahead of them, the bridge was shattered. A few more steps would have sent her plunging into the abyss below. She backed away from the edge, watching as Noel crept up to it to look down. "We'll find a way around," he said. "We can't cross this, obviously. There's nothing all the way to the other side." He pointed, demonstrating. Sure enough, there was no bridge at all ahead.

Serah suddenly grew suspicious of the half they stood on. "Noel, let's get off, okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Might break off, too."

They hurried back the way they came and circled around. As they ran, Serah glanced down alleys and streets to see some of them blocked off entirely while others were filled with security bots. Security screens of varying colors also stood in some places.

By the time they reached the promenade, they were down to a jog. "Hold up," Serah said. "Need to catch my breath a second."

"Yeah." Noel wasn't panting as hard, nor sweating as much. "But not long."

Leaning on her knees, Serah caught her breath, looking around. Things looked so desolate, and it was indeed raining slightly, but out of a cloudless sunset sky. The once-bustling city was silent. Unnerved, Serah kept looking around, searching for some sort of familiarity. There was none. Everything was alien. Nothing moved. Even the shadows seemed to be utterly still.

"Noel–" she began, and paused.

She saw something. It wasn't much, akin to a shadow flitting across the sun, a brief instant of darkness in the midst of light, but it seemed to linger. There was golden sunshine, white clouds, the smell of rain and wet earth, the sound of vehicles zinging to and fro, shining towers of steel, people walking back and forth – the image of Academia in 400 AF. Interspersed with that image, though, were quick frames of something else – a dark, rainy city with broken bridges, monsters in the shadows, and golden tesseracts constantly moving through the air, their shapes changing, merging, and splitting, with the streets of the city suspended in silence between them.

"Serah! _Serah_!"

And then she was abruptly yanked out of it, greeted by Noel's worried face and a splitting headache. "What?"

"You had another vision, yeah?"

"Noel, I'm fine."

"You didn't even hear," Noel told her. "He came right up, and you didn't notice." He nudged her and gestured; she looked over her shoulder. There was a small crowd of people. Standing at the head of that group was Hope himself, looking rather grim. "He's got something to say, looks like."

"Hope." Serah frowned.

The silver-haired man would forever be working on not looking like a boy to her. In her eyes, he was still the same boy she'd last seen in New Bodhum before he and his father had moved to settle what would become Academia. Even now, when he stood before her looking regal and in charge of himself, she had some trouble believing it was really him. It didn't seem real.

"You turned up right on schedule." Hope came up to them, and the small crowd – PSICOM and a couple of Academy members, she realized now – followed almost obediently. Something about it was unnerving. "Things are looking grim. We have done what we can, but we can't be sure if we can prevent the prophecy. Caius is determined to make it happen."

Serah found herself becoming quickly confused. Cocoon had been standing in 700 AF, its pieces removed bit by bit, but now Caius was trying to bring it down after all. What prophecy? Things were muddied. Cocoon wasn't supposed to be standing – it was likely a gorgon, as Snow had told her – yet it was. Yet in the past things were going to make it come down. Yet she had seen the Cie'th-infested Academia and a city of golden tesseracts in her brief vision – a vision that had lasted far longer than she'd initially believed, it seemed. Even after his talk with Snow, Caius was _still_ going through with his plan? Or was there something else at work here? Were they interacting with entirely different timelines, convergent, concurrent, yet different in all the ways that mattered?

Serah kept her confusion off her face. "Alright. What do we do?"

"We have to find and stop him," Hope told her. "He is going to crash Bhunivelze into Cocoon and bring them both down. That will open the portal."

Serah blinked. "Bhunivelze?"

"Ah, yes. My apologies. That is what we named the New Cocoon." He raised a hand and pointed to the massive sphere still tethered to the ground. "It will be our new home, our paradise. We managed to get the majority of Gran Pulse's population up there, or as many as we could find, but we are still finalizing the evacuation and need more time. You must find him, and soon."

Serah rubbed her forehead. "Okay…"

"Serah," Noel said, gently prodding her shoulder, "are you okay?"

She still had a splitting headache, but smiled at him anyway. "Of course. I'm just a little tired from all this running around. Haven't had enough sleep, I guess. Alright. We'll find Caius and stop him."

Hope nodded. "Swift wings."

Noel grinned. "If we had 'em."

Hope _almost_ cracked a smile at this one, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Vanille and Fang are safe," he said, nodding. "We removed their crystal this morning. No matter what happens, they will survive. I suppose we have learned crystal is indestructible."

"My crystal survived the plunge to Lake Bresha," Serah put in. "Don't worry, Hope. I _know_ they're safe. You'll see Vanille's smile again."

This time, Hope's façade let a thread of shyness through. "You're right. Now, we'll finish working on the metashield and making sure its ready for deployment."

Metashield? But Cocoon was being taken down piece by piece… right?

"We have the best pilot we could ask for – an old friend." He nodded at the airship waiting behind them. "Wherever you need to go, we can take you immediately."

"Okay," Serah said, "so, if I were Caius, where would I be?"

"Waiting," Noel said, "where he can see everything and know when Bhunivelze's loose." He frowned. "That name sounds familiar."

Serah ignored him. "Where can you see the whole playa?"

"From the highest points in Academia," Hope said.

She blinked. "Uh, and… where's that?"

Noel gave her an exasperated look. She couldn't blame him. Oftentimes, she'd asked admittedly stupid things and failed to grasp a concept without having it explained to her twice. This wasn't new, but it still seemed to irritate him enough.

"The towers of the Academy," Hope said patiently, and pointed up at them. Serah squinted at them, silhouetted black against the ever-darkening evening sky. "That's your best bet. We can take you up there. I know Sazh can maneuver in that tight of a space."

Serah beamed. "Sazh? Oh, yes, he's a great pilot!"

The crowd raced off to the airship, the majority boarding through a side hatch, but Hope instructed the two travelers to climb on the deck atop the airship. Nervous about the potential for plummeting off, Serah still clambered up with some reluctance. Noel was much more eager, practically tripping over himself in his excitement. That, or he was just eager to find Caius.

"All aboard?" a very familiar voice asked over the PA system. Serah grinned from ear to ear.

"That's Sazh," she told Noel. "Yes! We're aboard!"

"Hang on up there," he responded, and the airship quickly gained altitude, heading for the towers. Somehow, he guided the massive bulk of the craft in a tight turn to run the perimeter of the towers. Serah and Noel clung to the railing and squinted into the setting sun. Still tethered to the ground, Bhunivelze awaited the signal to rise into the sky. Meanwhile, Cocoon still stood on its crystal pillar. Serah felt drawn to it, struggling not to stare.

"Don't see him," Noel grumbled to her.

"Just keep looking!" she insisted. They had to stop him. They _had_ to. "Come on, Noel, he's gotta–"

"Wait! There he is!"

Serah twisted and looked down the line of Noel's arm. Perched rather precariously on a foot-wide overhang on one of the towers was a purple-and-black figure staring over the playa at the two Cocoons. He didn't seem to notice their approach – or, more likely, he just didn't care. Serah felt a jolt of adrenaline, scared. If they faced him, would they stand a chance?

They had to. There had no choice now.

"Knock him down, Sazh!" Noel shouted. "We've gotta get him in the air!"

"Fight him on his own turf?" Serah was desperately hoping she hadn't heard right. "Are you _crazy_?"

"Maybe," he responded. "Let 'em have it!"

The airship swung wide, then went straight for Caius. At the last second, the man looked shocked, as if amazed anyone would dare come after him. Sure enough, the airship's portside turret narrowly missed him, which was enough to get him to scramble back. There wasn't enough room. But instead of falling, Caius seemed to change his mind mid-step and instead leapt onto the deck, landing squarely in front of Serah. She yelped and stumbled away from him.

"Even after all this," Caius said, standing, "you still came. I admire your determination."

Serah fumbled for her bow and unfolded it into a sword. Noel whipped out both blades. Together, they assumed a battle stance.

"You wanted to see how well you've trained me? Well–" Noel pointed his sword at him. "–now's your chance!"

* * *

_I've been getting some worrisome comments from my readers, telling me things seem a little haphazard in the story and there's too many unanswered questions (basically). This is __**intentional**__ - it's __**foreshadowing**__, and admittedly the story is __**filled to the brim with it**__. There are ten chapters left, so we are over halfway through the story. __**All**__ of these threads, unanswered questions, and strange events, such as future-Caius's sadness in the previous chapter, __**will be explained**__ as things unfold through the climax. Thanks for being patient!_


	14. Crux of the Timeline

_**Crux of the Timeline**_

Lightning didn't realize she was the one shouting Caius's name at the top of her lungs until her throat hurt. Frozen in shock, but only briefly, she stared at the spot where he had disappeared below the cliff edge. Then, she snapped out of her trance, stumbling forward even as arrows whizzed past, peering down. There he was, lying facedown on the grass, not moving, and to the right, a pair of warriors racing across the Steppe toward him.

She snarled at the sight and swung her legs over the edge.

"Claire! Claire, Claire, Claire, Claire, don't you even _think_ about–"

Completely ignoring Yoteri's demands, she scrambled down the cliff, finding her own handholds, and dropped to the turf while whipping out her sword once more. She forced herself to stand on her knee even when it shot needles of intense pain up and down her leg. She stood over him in a battle stance, ready to defend him.

"Come on, then!" she shouted, loud and strong. "Just _try_ it!"

The two warriors, upon coming around the bend, slowed when they saw her standing over their target. They came at her carefully, but she knew her fierce expression and blazing eyes were more warning than they needed. When both of them came at her at once, obviously trying to catch her off guard, she pivoted on her good leg, favoring her bad knee, and lashed out in a flurry of strikes that were adrenaline-charged and brutal. Her other hand she used to block the strikes from the other's staff by using the leather gauntlet to diffuse the blow. When she got one of them to back off, she turned on the other.

At this point, Yoteri and Janya leapt off the plain overhead, landing and rolling with the impact, and with three against two, the battle didn't last that long. When the two warriors – both of whom were dressed in clothing meant to protect their skin from the sun, such as breathable cloth on the shoulders and torso and leather to protect from attack – took a step back, the two hunters pressed the attack.

"Make sure they're gone!" Lightning said once the two Tesrai warriors – if that's what they were; their clothing was tinged yellow, and this was apparently close to their territory – turned and ran. "I'll be here!"

The two hunters took off.

All was quiet again. After a moment, crickets started chirping in the brush nearby. Insects fluttered about amongst small white flowers blooming all over. Butterflies flitted about while bees did their duty and ignored her. Once she was convinced they were alone, she carefully lowered herself to her knee at his side, reaching down to check his pulse at the curve of his jaw. It was a bit thin, but steady.

"Caius?" She bent closer and shook his shoulder. "Caius? Caius. _Caius_!"

He grunted, eyes flicking open.

At this sign of life, Lightning felt a sudden burst of relief all over, body going weak a moment. That had been far too _close_. Falling back on her heels, she buried her face in her hands and took a shaky breath. Too close. _Too close_. Too close to getting the crux of the timeline killed. Too close to voiding her purpose here. Too close to losing him. That had been the closest call she had yet had… and she hoped it was the last.

Dropping her hands back to her lap, she exhaled softly.

"Hey," she murmured, "you alright?"

His eyes focused on her. "What happened?" His voice was barely audible.

There was something about hearing such a confused, pained, soft tone out of a man she was well used to hearing shout his love of battle at the top of his lungs wherever he could be heard. On instinct, her hand fell to his shoulder and lightly stroked it in a slight hypnotic rhythm.

"You fell hard."

Slowly, he brought his hands beneath his torso and pushed himself up to a sitting position, although she had to take his arm and keep him balanced. Once he was up, he shook his head and rubbed his forehead before moving to rub his neck. She quickly noticed that, except for grass, dirt, mud, and bruises – one nasty one on the arm that'd been pinned beneath him – he seemed to be alright, but it was hard to tell without getting him upright. Finally, he sat up straight, eyes not focusing entirely right, which worried her.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

One hand touched his forehead. "Alive."

Lightning took his hand and lowered it back to his lap beside the other. Leaning closer to his face, she told him to look at her. Their eyes met. She studied each in turn, searching for things she'd been taught to look for in the field. As far as her minimal medical training could tell, he was going to live.

"You're in shock," she said. "Don't think there's a concussion. Good. Anything else? Numb, dizzy, disoriented…?"

The stare he gave her seemed disconnected. His lips parted as he took a breath. "I'm…" he murmured, and trailed off. Again came the stare, worrying her.

"Caius, look at me," she told him. "What do you think happened?"

A furrow appeared on his brow. "What?"

"Tesrai. What happened?" She tried to pry his mind away from the shock – it could have been death if he'd landed wrong, and within her chest her heart was still pounding. That had been too close. He could've died, and _everything_ she'd come here for, for naught. It scared her, the thought of him dying. It scared her more than anything in her life. He was the crux of the timeline; it was her job to make sure he survived. "What _happened_?"

He blinked, but seemed to be recovering. "If a nation has a… a disagreement with another, they… it might come to war." Rubbing his forehead again, he stared blankly at the ground before wavering to the side. Lightning caught his arm to keep him upright. "In that case… in such a case, they may try to kill the military leaders first. Miyoki… he never gets out…"

Lightning noted his slightly disjointed speech. "Rest a moment."

"I'm… I'm alright, Claire."

She looked into his eyes. "Before you start that, just tell me – does anything hurt? Anything at all?"

"Yes."

The color drained from her face a little. "Where? What?"

"Claire," he said, softly "I'm alright. Nothing is broken. There's a bruise on my arm and a few places feel as though they hit too hard, but I'm– personally, _I_ am alright."

His speech was better, but she wasn't convinced. "Caius," she warned.

He leaned closer to her. At that moment, their faces were only a few inches apart, close enough that she could feel a brief touch of his hair on her forehead. "I would tell you," he murmured, "if anything were wrong. I don't believe anything is. Try not to worry."

It took a moment for her to realize just how close they were and longer before she managed to pull back and put a little distance between them again. Even still, they continued to gaze at each other, each lingering within the other's eyes, and she found it hard to look away. He was trying so hard to convince her he was fine; the least she could do was acquiesce.

"Alright." The word as it passed her lips was barely a breath of air, but she knew he heard it when he gave her a very slight nod. Releasing him, she stood up. When he had some trouble standing, she felt worry wash over again as she took his arm to help him. "You sure?"

"My back is sore and my body hurts all over," he said, a little more sharply this time. "Nothing's broken."

"But there's always the poss–"

"Of internal injuries? Of course there are." His left hand pressed to his ribs below his heart; she eyed it suspiciously. "I didn't land hard enough for that."

"You're still getting looked over when we get back, purple wonder."

"Claire, I'm _fine_."

"No, you're _not_." She felt like she was arguing with a two-year-old. "You took a hard fall that could have _killed_ you if you'd landed just a little wrong. It sent you into shock. _You're getting examined _whether you like it or not."

"I've had worse," he insisted.

She tapped his collarbone with one finger. "I don't care."

For a moment, he seemed to want to continue their argument, but he conceded and nodded. "If it will make you stop worrying, I will," he said. "Now, where are the others?"

"Probably heading back."

He looked across the Steppe before wavering slightly again. This time, Lightning secured his arm with both of hers and led him over to the cliff wall, forcing him to lean on it even when he glared at her. As he rested, the moss and flowering plants giving him a soft surface, she stood dutifully beside him. This was her job, her whole purpose – to protect him and take care of him. Even if that meant she couldn't do much else, well, she was fine with that. If it fixed the timeline, that was alright with her.

"Here they come."

At the sound of his voice, she looked to see Janya and Yoteri jogging toward them. As they approached, Caius laid a hand on his ribs again, frowning. She knew that look: it was a look that very clearly told her that he was doing his very best not to reveal just how much pain he was in. Remembering the first time she'd rammed her sword through his heart and kicked him down to the plaza far below – a fall that had broken his spine on impact, if she remembered correctly – she knew how much pain he could stand before he let anyone know its extent.

She chewed her lip. "You're lucky to be alive."

He winced as he looked at her, taking a breath. "I suppose I am," he said. "Perhaps your worry is justified."

"It is," she insisted.

He looked at her with a slight frown. "Why do you worry about me? You know how hardy I am."

"Why do you worry about _me_?"

He hesitated, eyeing her. "You are one of our fellow hunters. We care about one another."

"That's not what I asked and you know it."

Their eyes met again, and this time the silence went on for a while. Neither of them looked away, refusing to back down. This staring contest, much like the one they'd had when she first arrived here, gave her the feeling he was holding something back. She, too, was hiding something, so she knew what to look for. No matter what, she could not tell him why she had come here. He had to remain in the dark, oblivious to the reasons behind her concern, if the world were to survive.

"I choose to," was his curt response.

Somehow, Lightning sensed this wasn't it, but wisely kept her mouth shut about it. For now. "Then I choose to, as well," she said, folding her arms. "Now, when these two catch up, we're going back. It's best if we keep moving so we can get you back and examined as soon as possible."

He sighed. "You're still on that?"

"I am."

The two other hunters finally caught up and stopped in front of them. "They were definitely Tesrai, but we never caught up enough to ask what they wanted," Janya muttered. "No idea what's going on, but if it's anythin' like what has happened before… can't be good."

"No," Yoteri sighed, "not good at all."

Lightning frowned and nodded to them, then looked at Caius again. "Can you walk?"

He stepped away from the wall. "Well enough."

"He needs to be examined," Lightning began.

"Oh, don't worry, we know," Yoteri assured her. "You take a fall like that, _something's_ gonna be hurt. Come on, you, let's get back to the city. We can go finish up our work later, but you need a checkup." He lead the way while Janya brought up the rear.

Lightning kept pace beside Caius. His walk was fairly brisk and he wasn't breathing hard, so her worries could be at least slight nonsense, but she still felt agitation gnawing at her heart. Until the physician looked him over and made sure he was fine, she couldn't relax.

"You seem to be a first-class worrier," he said.

She glanced at him. "What?"

"As if you have had a great deal of practice." When he looked at her, he lifted an eyebrow. Whatever bitterness he'd borne from her worrying seemed to be gone now. "Have you?"

Her lips threatened to smile. "Yeah," she admitted. "I told you I have a sister. Well, my parents died when we were young – my dad when I was little, my mom when I was fifteen. I took care of my sister and worried about her all the time because she's the only family I have left. She went off to school, I worried. She grew up and got a boyfriend, I worried. She becomes a l'Cie, I worried. Well, that's a given, I guess…"

"I see."

She thought back to the conversation they'd had last night. "So, yeah, I'm good at it."

"Your only family." He seemed to think this over. "Your sister has someone, and you have no one?"

"Never had time."

"No one waiting for you to come home?"

"Not one. I mean, sure, friends and my sister, but no warm bodies in my bed, if that's what you mean. I spent my whole life keeping everybody at arm's length, first because Dad died and I had to help take care of my sister, then because Mom died and we were the only two left."

"Do you ever regret it?"

At this, Lightning went very quiet in thought. She was a strong, independent woman, used to taking care of herself and being alone. Only when she had found friends and made a makeshift family with the other l'Cie had she begun to wonder if she had to keep everyone away all the time. She had seen Serah swoon and go starry-eyed over Snow, much to the chagrin of her pessimistic older sister, and blown it off as time-wasting romance.

"I'm not sure," she said.

Caius looked at her, just briefly, but he was still curious. By cracking a door in her walls, she was at risk of opening a floodgate and letting everything out. By now, Caius knew more about her than Serah, who had grown up with her, sure, but the two women had never engaged in sisterly chatter by the time of her adult years. Serah didn't know her sister's heart all that well.

Caius was beginning to, and he didn't know it.

This realization quickly made her look away. She had to stop that. He was too easy to talk to, coaxing things out of her with just a few words and getting her flustered with a well-placed smirk, arguing and getting her fettered, then teasing her and making her crazy. Something about his personality was inviting. She mentally kicked herself. Her job was to gain his trust, then save him when the time came and make sure he crystallized and saved the world.

That was _it_.

"Watch it," he said, jerking her out of her thoughts. She narrowly avoided a tree root jutting out of the path.

"Thanks," she muttered.

Before long, they were back in the city, and Caius headed off to the physician, promising he would get a thorough once-over to make sure he was going to be alright. Lightning nodded, letting him go without saying another word, leaving her with Janya and Yoteri. All three stood there awkwardly for a bit before Yoteri said he had something to do and ran off.

"I'd better go, too," Janya said. "You. Get rested up. Be needin' ya for what's coming. Things'll get busier now."

"Got it," Lightning said.

Janya tilted her head. "Things're goin' good between you and Caius," she said. "He's right, you get worried 'bout things too easy, especially him. You sweet on him?"

It took a lot longer than it should have for her to remember what that meant. "Wha– no! I just worry about my friends," she said.

"Uh-huh." Janya wasn't convinced. "Well, whatever, your business. See ya." And she left as well.

Lightning waited until she was out of earshot to grit her teeth and groan loudly. So Caius treated her with warmth and respect, was easy to talk to, and she cared whether or not he died. That did _not_ mean he was anything beyond the crux of the timeline to her.

After a moment, she turned, walking not in the direction of her home, but the seeress. It was time to stop wondering and start planning. Caius was a friend, the hunters knew her well enough to pick on her, and she liked it here. Now it was time to get things moving.

When she reached the building, she almost went straight into Yeul's chambers before her Guardian stopped her cold in her tracks, blocking her with one arm. "Where're you goin', huh?" he demanded.

She looked at him. "I need to speak with Yeul. _Now_."

The man stared at her. "You mean business."

"I mean business, yeah."

"Fine." He let her go and waved her through the tapestry. "Go on. She should be decent."

Lightning started to keep going, but paused with her back still to Miyoki. The Guardian was facing away from her and seemed to be on his way out. "Hey, Miyoki."

"Yeah, what?"

She hesitated, then said, "You gonna wait 'til after trade season, or make him suffer?"

Miyoki spoke without the usual bite. "The sooner, the better," he said quietly. "I've been a Guardian way too long. Time for someone else. Time for someone else to do the protecting and running around. I've cared about every seer I've protected, but I'm tired of it."

Lightning scoffed. "You're nothing but a selfish old man."

She heard him turn around. "You know how old I am?" he asked. Facing him, she crossed her arms. "Physically, sixty-two. Chronologically? A hundred and forty-six." He paused to let that sink in; Lightning lowered her arms to her sides again in shock. "Yeah. Exactly. I've been a fal'Cie slave for over a hundred years. I ain't givin' them the satisfaction of making me suffer anymore. Caius is young and strong. It'll take longer than it did me for him to start suffering."

Lightning noticed how similar his words were to her own – marching off to Eden, desperate to make her own fate rather than living as a monster, carving a path without a second thought. When she looked into the man's dark eyes, she saw bitterness and regret there, along with so many memories and emotions she couldn't name.

"How old is he?" she asked.

"Twenty-six," he said, "closing on twenty-seven. Older than I was when I became a Guardian. Who knows, he might be better prepared. He loves his people and won't let anything harm them, especially the seer. He's better than Gorgyra. Better than _me_."

"And what about Gorgyra? What happens to _her_?"

"Somebody'll kill her and make her stop suffering. I couldn't do it." He scowled. "Somebody stronger ought to. I keep praying somebody, somewhere will do it. Hey," he added, "if you ever see her, please… don't stay your hand. Go end her torment, for me, and for her, alright?"

She chewed her lip. "Yeah."

Miyoki nodded a couple of times. "Did you make him smile?"

This abrupt change of topic made her chuckle. "I do when I can, but he's stubborn. Likes to argue with me a lot and picks on me. Constantly. It's annoying."

"Guess he likes you."

Not sure what he meant by "like", she shrugged. "Maybe."

"It'll be soon," he said. "I plan on droppin' the gauntlet soon. But no warning. Don't you breathe a word of this to him, you hear?"

Lightning waited a few seconds, staring at the man with a rather neutral expression, before folding her arms again, saying, "You've known him a long time, right? And picked him up when Gorgyra stopped being what you wanted. Now you're just going to force him to kill you without a warning? If I know anything about that, it's gonna be a little rough on him."

"Fourteen years he's been my apprentice," Miyoki said. "Yeul was only eight when Gorgyra went Cie'th."

Lightning sighed. "Don't you end up like her."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed into the seeress's chambers. The girl – woman, if she was twenty years old – was sitting with eyes closed beside the pool, but opened them and looked at Lightning curiously when she walked in.

Lightning wasted no time. "So, how long have we got?"

The woman pushed herself to her feet. "My most recent vision was that of the army. I still cannot tell who it is, but I know the date is fast approaching. It is within the next few months, soon after the end of trade season. Beyond that, there is little I can tell you. But there is something else."

Pause. "What?"

"There is something terrible in the wilds," she said, "a monster that devours the chaos in the world. No, it _feeds_ on the chaos and devours those with an exceptional affinity to it to make itself stronger. It threatens the livelihood of this nation. I don't– I don't know if we're strong enough to stop it."

"What do you mean? What monster?"

"It is still some distance away," Yeul told her, "but fast approaching. It will arrive in the vicinity of the city before the army comes. But," she added in a reassuring tone, "it will not come before Caius is promoted to Guardian."

Lightning blinked. "So, what?"

"Caius will remain here and help prepare for the trades that come to us, at which point Miyoki will call him out. That will be within a few weeks, perhaps even within this week. Claire, for both of their sakes, please spend a little extra time with him. The aftermath of their battle will be one of adjustment for Caius. He will need you."

Lightning swallowed. "_Need_ me?"

Yeul cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing more. "Anything else?"

Lightning scuffed her heel on the floor. "Are you going to let the rest of the nation known about all this?"

"When I have more details on both, I promise, I will."

"When does the army arrive?"

"The end of trade season marks the end of summer. The army will arrive at the start of fall."

Lightning tried not to feel too uneasy. There was still some time left. Had she gained enough of Caius's trust to be there when he needed her? Would it be enough to keep him from transforming into Bahamut? She had to hold on to the hope that it was. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Yes."

Well, that wasn't the answer she expected. "What?"

"The power to see the future is a terrible weapon. We as seers must be careful not to influence the past to affect the future. All things happen for a reason. We are merely silent witnesses to history."

"What's that mean for _me_?"

"Your sorrow. Your joy. Your pain. To have the world live on in peace will barely seem worth the price you pay."

The curiosity threatened to overwhelm her. "What price, Yeul?"

"You will know."

"No, I don't want to know _later_, you tell me _now_."

"If I tell you, I promise you will lose your will to continue," the woman told her. "Not immediately. Not within the day. You will simply lose it more than you will if you proceed through history normally. Things will come to pass, and you will learn your place in time's path. You are the arrow now, Claire, or should I call you as you call yourself: Lightning?"

The rosehaired woman was speechless for a time. "How–?"

"I have seen the far future. I know you are from Cocoon and have seen your home crystallized on the plains. I know you have come to prevent a terrible thing from happening. You _cannot_ lose your will to fight."

Lightning took a breath. "I know."

"Lightning does not need to be destructive," Yeul said softly. "It is a flash of beauty and light in a storm. It can be a sign of destruction, yes, but also of rain. Fear not who you are, and let yourself be open."

She nodded. "Lately, it's Caius I've been talking to."

"Let him be your outlet, then, if you find him easy to speak to," Yeul told her. "Now, if there is nothing else, I will retire for the day to rest. Go now, and find some time to rest as well. Miyoki will take care of Caius until he is well enough to return to work."

"Why'd he choose to move up the date for… well, getting killed?"

"The guilt caught up to him."

Lightning thought this was ridiculous, but her short talk with Miyoki had taught her the man was past caring about ridiculousness. What he cared about was ending his enslavement, and if that meant dying, so be it. At least she knew Caius would be a great Guardian, though hopefully not an immortal one.

Lightning gave her a shallow bow before turning and leaving the chamber. Out in the sunshine, she halted to look down at the ground.

A monster. An army. A promotion. Soon, Caius would be a l'Cie, and his path to the beginning of the end would be paved. Soon, he would be a crystal statue guarding the plains, and she would be back in a future where none of the nightmares had happened. She would be with her sister, happy, knowing she'd never have to leave, knowing she would never have to fight for nothing ever again.

She looked up in time to see Miyoki walk past with his head up. A short distance behind him was Caius.

She intercepted, stopping him with a hand to his shoulder. "Hey."

Caius met her eyes. The weariness she recognized from Valhalla was there – just a touch of it in his eyes and as a fold in his brow – and she bit the inside of her lip, suddenly unsure. Was this it? The Caius she knew now was fairly laid-back, if still tough. Was this where it ended?

"Claire," he said warmly.

She half-smiled. "How're you feeling?"

He patted his sides with both hands, then settled them on his hips. "I had no serious injuries, and the pain is almost gone. The doctor said that by tomorrow the pain will be gone entirely and it will be as if I had never fallen at all – though, he says, some bruises may show up in the coming days."

Lightning felt relief. "I'm glad," she said, brushing her thumb over his shoulder. She hesitated, smile disappearing. "You're worried about facing Miyoki, aren't you?"

His brow furrowed further, and instantly she recognized the expression: a dark, pained expression that was a shadow of the one he wore whenever Yeul perished before him. One side of her wanted to back away and draw her sword to protect herself. The other side, the softer one she only ever gave her sister, kept her standing beside him and brought her other hand up to his other shoulder.

"I am," he admitted. "I have expected it half my life, it seems, but I never– when…" Then he trailed off entirely, lips pressed together.

"Hey." She squeezed his shoulders. "I know. I do." She took a breath. "When my sister became a l'Cie, the world turned on her. Even me. I mean, I said– I told her it was my job to 'take care' of her. I threatened to kill my _sister_."

"That isn't even close."

"Caius, the man's like a grouchy old brother to you. It's close enough."

He surprised her by taking her shoulders with both hands and looking into her eyes. "When this is over, I will be a Guardian, and soon a l'Cie. Either our patron fal'Cie will brand me, or a wild one, but I _will_ be a l'Cie. My life will never be the same."

"Caius," she murmured, "I know. More than you think, I _know_."

He looked curious. "Claire?"

She gazed back at him, debating whether to tell him. How could she explain being branded, turning to crystal, then awakening with no new brand? Sure, she could say that Etro did it, but she wasn't sure if he would believe her. Still, she felt a strong, lingering desire, a _need_, to tell him. Biting her lip, she thought a moment longer, then half-smiled, very slightly, at him.

"It's a long story, Caius," she said, "trust me."

He still looked curious, but did not pursue the matter. "Thank you for understanding," he said, and almost looked ashamed to say it, even shy. "I realize these are things to be expected, but–"

"Hey." She smirked at him. "It's fine."

A moment later, she noticed they were staring at each other with their hands on each other's shoulders and quickly dropped them away, feeling awkward. Caius did the same, minus an awkward look.

"I should go," he said.

She looked back up at him and nodded in response. "You should."

Caius's brow wasn't as furrowed as it was a few moments ago, which made her feel a little better. "If you need me for anything, please tell me. I would appreciate the distraction from my duties."

"Same here. Needing me, I mean."

They gazed at each other again, Lightning trying to pry herself away from him and create some distance, but finding it a difficult thing to do for some reason. She knew little about Caius and his mentor, but knew that the relationship between mentor and learner could be a very strong one to the point of familial bonds. Did he have his parents still, or was Miyoki essentially a parental figure, as Caius had been to Yeul?

"Caius, mind if I ask a… potentially personal question?"

One eyebrow twitched. "I suppose not."

"I'll be delicate." Depending on the answer, it could be a touchy subject or a simple one. "Your parents, uh – do you have them anymore?"

The frown lines vanished. "My mother died some years ago, but my father is alive and getting on enough in years that he had to retire from hunting," he said. "He keeps to himself, but I live with him. I will continue to do so until I become a full Guardian, at which point–"

He cut himself off abruptly enough that she wondered if he was going to continue. "At which point…?"

He took a breath. "At which point I sever my ties with the rest of the world and dedicate my life to the seers."

Lightning made a soft sound in her throat. "You can do it. I know you can."

There were a few seconds of comfortable quiet between them. Caius gave her a half-smile that was mostly the corner of his lips trying to form the proper curve, but it didn't quite come out right, looking strained. "Claire," he said, "if you–"

"Caius," Miyoki interrupted, standing in the entrance to the building, "get in here."

Whatever words he was going to say remained forever unspoken as he gave her a dismissive nod and followed his mentor. Lightning watched him go. Not too long ago, she'd told Hope that if he wanted to survive, he had to forget about sympathy altogether. Obviously, her journey since then had taught her that that advice wasn't always the kind to be followed, and now she felt a wellspring of sympathy for Caius. This was the beginning of the end for him, the beginning of the path that would turn him into the man she knew.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Since it was only early afternoon, she went off see if any of the hunters needed help with things. It was when she was passing through the center of the city that she saw a pair of very familiar faces she had not seen in a long time: the sisters Malo and Anhui, looking quite happy to see her. She smiled at them and stopped, bracing herself for their boundless enthusiasm.

"Claire!" Anhui was subdued compared to her sister, who wriggled at her side. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Lightning bent at the waist with her hands on her knees. "Hey, you two."

"Where're you going?"

"Seeing if anybody needs my help with anything."

"We were just passing through," Anhui said. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, this 'n that." Lightning straightened. "Went out on a patrol with Caius last night, went with him and Janya and Yoteri to make sure the trade routes were intact, had to watch as Tesrai attacked us and threw Caius over a cliff edge and he almost died, and–"

"Wait! Caius almost _died_?" Anhui looked a little pale, hands clasped together. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine," she said, placing a hand on her hip, "don't worry."

"And you went out with him last night?"

Lightning pursed her lips. "It sounds like a date when you say it like that, which it _wasn't_. We were just out on a patrol and it happened to be a beautiful night. That's all," she added when the girls gave her knowing looks. "Would you _stop_ that? Caius is a friend. We happen to have some things in common. There's nothing going on."

"Of course," Anhui said, smiling.

Malo giggled.

Lightning had enough. "Alright, that's it, _go_," she said with a scowl. "Anhui, go daydream about Caius for a while and stop trying to pair people up. That's rude. Malo, keep her in line." She kept the severe look until they had run off, then rolled her eyes, heading off to look for the hunters.


	15. Promoted to Guardian

_**Promoted to Guardian**_

About half a second after Noel finished taunting him, Caius threw himself forward and put the full weight of his body behind the gesture. Serah ducked in and helped Noel block the blow, but still they toppled back. Caius used only one hand, the other simply as leverage. While his eyes were fierce, he didn't look concerned, while both Serah and Noel strained under his power, crouching on the deck.

"Both of you are beginning to annoy me," he hissed.

Noel dug in and leaned forward. "Give _up_, Caius! Enough's enough!"

The darkhaired man hesitated, feinted a little, and managed to knock them both back with a snap of his arm. The two travelers stumbled, but righted themselves.

"You still don't know the truth, Serah." Caius spoke directly to her this time, ignoring Noel, violet eyes fixed on her blue ones. "You and Yeul are the same. Each change in the timeline seeps at your life. Even if you build the future you long for, you will _not_ live to see it."

Serah thought of the sad, soft-spoken individual in the Coliseum who had called Snow "friend". That man must have been an older version of Caius, the one inhabiting Valhalla and thus the one she met in the Void Beyond. That was two hundred years in the future – did this Caius not care about the changes that one had witnessed? Or, because of the linearity of time and the future Caius's existence in a world in a state of perpetual temporal flux, did he just not know of them yet?

"I know, Caius," she said, flexing her fingers at her side. "I know how a little part of me dies every time I see a vision. But don't you see? I don't care. Maybe… maybe I–" She winced and gritted her teeth. "I'm bitter. I won't be able to see the world safe and everything back to normal. I'll never be with Snow or my sister again. But I promised to protect the future, and I _will_!"

Caius looked at her with the hint of a blank stare, like the one the other Caius had given her before. "Your sister."

Beside her, Noel braced himself, waiting for the man to pounce. Instead, Caius gazed at them in turn, but seemed much more interested in Serah, eyes fixed on hers. Under that stare, she was unnerved but fascinated by the emotion in his eyes. An emotion she couldn't name. An emotion she dare not _try_ to name.

"Is her name Claire?"

Serah gawked at him with her mouth hanging open. _Claire_? Almost no one knew that was Lightning's birth name, and those who did still called her by her nickname. How could Caius, who had demonstrated a pretty one-track mind since they'd first met him, know her sister's name was _Claire_? It was impossible unless he had done some gazing across time, but even then she found it unlikely. Lightning's true name wasn't that much of a deal. There was no big mystery surrounding it and no secret attached to it. It was just her name.

So she said, "Yes."

A change came over his features, the harsh lines softening. "The two of you look alike, I should have known," he said. The sword lowered, as if he were hesitating. "The same hair and eyes. And such tenacity in the face of certain death. No wonder she spoke so highly of–"

It was like he had suddenly been backhanded and woken out of a daydream. The anger came back.

"Enough, no more." He held the sword with both hands overhead, eyes ablaze with fury. "_Lies_!"

Serah and Noel, totally confused, braced themselves.

Caius brought the sword down with such speed and ferocity that it sent them into retreat. Noel backpedaled, then brought one sword up to block Caius's while using the other to slash out. He missed; Serah tried to do the same, but she missed as well. Another swing, and this time she hit her target, leaving a gouge in Caius's armor. The man gave her a quick, nasty glance.

And in the blink of an eye, Serah found herself in the air, surrounded by the darkness of chaos encircling her and holding her in place like a vise. With one hand, Caius held her in place, while the other blocked Noel's desperate attacks. Serah strained against the chaos, barely able to move. Tendrils embraced her chest and squeezed it, sending her into a fit of panic. Instead of just killing her quick, he was prolonging it, making her die much more horribly in a drawn-out state of despair and pain.

With a cry of desperation, she pushed back with all her strength, and at the same time she saw Noel swing his sword in a backhand across Caius's face. The man stumbled sideways with a grunt of pain, and suddenly Serah was on the ground, scrambling to get up.

Noel quickly made use of his dual blades, using one to fend off attacks while the other snaked in and out to get in bites and slashes here and there. Ignoring the plating, Noel instead went for the mesh on his arms and softer material on his sides. A flick of the wrist, a feint, a slash out, and Caius was bleeding from several wounds. The man retorted by blasting the boy off his feet with a blaze of energy. Serah fired an arrow at his back; Caius stumbled and Noel hit the ground.

Then he turned the assault back on her as Noel struggled to get up. Serah managed to fend him off, but there wasn't as much room to maneuver on the deck as in the Void Beyond, and the deck was also tilting and hitting turbulence. She had to struggle to keep upright, although something told her if the pilot hadn't been someone with Sazh's skill, the three of them would have made acquaintances with the ground by now.

Caius ducked her blind swing, then knocked her back. She barely caught herself before sliding toward the pitiful railing.

Just as he brought his sword down in what was so obviously meant to be a killing blow, Noel sprang forward and intercepted. Serah scrambled for a hold. There wasn't an opening for her to help Noel at the moment, so instead she watched for one as she climbed up.

"You fight bravely to protect those you care for, as any Guardian should," the man said. "You could have been far better than even myself."

"You swore an oath to protect Yeul, Caius!" Noel snarled. "Now you're just gonna _kill_ everyone, _including_ her?"

"How many seeresses have you met on your journey?"

Noel strained and managed to push him away. "That looked like her? More than I can count!"

"Think what that _means_!"

Serah chewed her lip. They knew that Yeul had to be reborn over and over and over. That much was clear. Before either of them could respond, however, Caius went on, a strain in his voice made of a myriad of emotions she could only hope to sort through.

"Her only purpose is to die over and over for a thousand years!" There – that was grief. It was unmistakable. "She always dies before she can truly live! Countless, senseless deaths with no life to give them meaning. Each only lives to _at most_ their eighteenth birthday! Though she knows, she isn't allowed to change her fate. So I will change it _for_ her."

Serah sensed something in his voice that gnawed at her heart.

"Her spirit is forever bound by a curse. No matter the sacrifice, I will destroy time and fate itself, and she will finally be _free_!"

"No matter the sacrifice? No matter how many millions of people die when Cocoon falls? No matter who dies up and down the timeline, who cares, right? You'll save Yeul! The only person _you_ ever cared about won't have to die anymore! To Lindzei with everyone else!"

"There was another. _Long ago_ there was another!"

"You gonna kill that one too?"

"_I lost her_!"

Taken aback by the outburst of raw emotion, Serah stared at him. Noel looked a little surprised.

"Her?" Noel seemed to forget about the sword bearing down on his skull for a second. "Why– what's– why is it that there's always a woman in some poor guy's past? How come all that anger has to stem from a woman, _huh_?"

Caius avoided Noel's flurry of blows and leapt back. "Not all."

"Well, then, picture this: if you end the world here and now, the ripple effects could kill her too!"

Serah caught the horror on his face an instant before he covered it. She knew she hadn't imagined it. It was real and had struck him to the core. "It doesn't matter! Yeul will–"

"Tell me. What was she like?"

Caius was very quiet, staring at Noel. The look reminded her of the solemnity in the Coliseum. "She was intelligent, strong, and stubborn. And very beautiful."

Serah immediately thought of her sister and wondered why. Well, it helped that Caius's description of the woman more or less were words that could describe Lightning. If things had been different, would Caius and Lightning have fallen in love with each other? But no, that would never happen. Caius was too blinded by grief and her sister had no interest in relationships.

"I will fulfill my obligation as a Guardian, as I have for over a thousand years, and I will not let this opportunity pass me by. Her spirit will be free, and if all goes to plan– if all goes as it should as _I _understand chaos… well, all will bear the gift of eternity with us."

He returned to his assault, pushing Noel back, but Serah sprang forward and struck him with her sword, gouging a wound into his back. Caius cried out, and for an instant he was helpless. Both travelers leapt forward and upset his balance. Noel stabbed out, Serah slashed up, and with the _crack_ of plating and _thud_ of metal puncturing flesh, there was a lot of blood, and Caius went flying.

"I stabbed his heart," Noel said. In his shivering left hand he gripped the slender sword that fit inside the shaft of the other. It was very red and dripping blood. "But he'll be back. We've got–" Choking up, he stopped and stared at the sword. Disgust entered his eyes; he flicked off the blood. "Sazh!"

"What do you need?"

"Caius took a dive off the deck. Swing 'round. We gotta catch him!"

Serah groaned. "Noel, if he transforms into Bahamut, he'll have the upper hand!"

"We gotta try!"

Serah blinked, thought a moment, and decided he had a point. "Alright, let's do it! We're going to save the future!"

As Sazh turned the airship around, Noel said, "That's so cheesy."

* * *

Lightning spent many days just doing chores around the city, and soon trading season began proper. It had a narrow opening – a few weeks during the best years – so there was a bit of a mad scramble to get things done. There was vegetation to be cleared from pathways, holes to be filled, pavilions to be swept, game to be caught, meals to be cooked up, birds to be washed, eggs to be collected… on and on this went without end, and soon Lightning was both sunburned and tan with pinkish-gold streaks bleached into her hair. No longer skinny and pale, she more easily fit in amongst the outdoorsy hunters and warriors. No one gave her a second glance – although, she suspected, it helped she was considered "one of them".

The days turned into several weeks, all of which blurred together. During that time, she went on more group hunts and helped inspect the territory bordering the nation of Tesrai. Trying to keep from getting too attached to the land, she still found a few knickknacks to add to her home, ranging from small stained glass mosaics to ivory she proudly put on display from her kills. Summer crept along, hot and humid. Miyoki did not ask to see Caius, as he was busy with preparations, while she herself rarely got to see Caius except on the occasional hunt, as he was busy receiving more training from Miyoki as well as helping in preparations as well. When they _did_ see each other, they kept their meetings professional but still exchanged a few looks and touches that weren't always planned and were far from professional.

In the later weeks of summer, her duties grew fewer and farther between, giving her more free time, but Caius was still busy and she never saw Miyoki or Yeul.

In the mid afternoon one day, she was in the stables, one of the only ones there, tending to a large yellow chocobo with a cheery personality and a need to make a _constant_ trilling sound. She wasn't sure it was a male or female and wasn't sure if there was a way to tell to the untrained eye. Its feathers were silky under the caked dirt and it looked like it was wearing fluffy yellow bloomers.

It helped her forget about the fast-approaching end of it all for a while.

Lightning paused her preening of the bird's voluminous feathers. Why did it bother her? If she thought about it, she realized it meant she would have to leave the land and people she had come to like, but it also meant she could go _home_. Would everyone be in New Bodhum, remembering everything? Would they be on the plains after the Fall? Would they–

The chocobo tugged gently on her hair. "Alright, sorry," she muttered, and returned to cleaning. It didn't matter. Things would be fine. She pried a chunk of mud from the feathers on its wing and said, "Do you _roll_ in this stuff?"

"Sometimes they do."

Lightning felt an unexpected smile creep to her face at that familiar voice. "Caius," she said, and couldn't name the warm feeling that washed over her now. It had been nearly six weeks since the incident with Tesrai, and for the past two she hadn't seen Caius at all. To hear his voice again was… _wonderful_ somehow. "Where've you been? Haven't seen you in a while."

"I was busy with apprentice duties. Miyoki has kept me up from dawn to dusk since we last spoke." She looked up to see him leaning on the doorframe of the stable entrance. His pleasant expression was a little strained and there were shadows under his eyes – exhausted, no doubt – but he wasn't faking it. "I have reason to believe he will call on me to fight him soon. Perhaps even today."

She winced. "Here, help me out. Keep those hands busy." She waved him in; he held out a hand as he approached the chocobo, who greeted him with a happy-sounding _trill_ and tapped its beak on his palm. It made him smile, which lifted a weight off her heart.

"Hey, girl," he said, and rubbed her forehead, looking at Lightning. "You've been abusing her, haven't you?"

"Oh, horribly," she said.

Caius stroked a hand down one of the feathered tails hanging from the sides of her head, then moved to the opposite side of Lightning, taking up her job there. "And yourself?"

"What– oh, I've been keepin' busy."

There was silence for a moment. "It's almost therapeutic."

"Hmm?"

"The chocobos." Caius fluffed up the bird's feathers while she warbled. "Nothing bothers them. They never care about politics, or the weather, or hunting. They don't even care who gives them their next meal, so long as it is given." He plucked a loose feather. "Like children."

Lightning looked at him. "When we're little, we want to grow up, you know? So we can work and go out places on our own and not have to do what our parents say. We always waste half our childhood wanting to grow up. Then it happens, and then–"

He sighed. "Then it's too late. The years are gone and they never come back."

Lightning knew that all too well. Time had slipped by quickly for herself and her sister. Once upon a time she had looked at the years ahead with joy in her heart in expectance of becoming an adult. Now she glowered at those years and they glowered back. The future was rather bleak. What could she do?

"Caius," she said, "what's wrong?"

"Why?"

"I can tell. You're upset. What about?"

For a long time, he continued to work, saying nothing, but frowning slightly. Lightning didn't press the issue, but she did gaze at him as she worked her way around to his side of the chocobo, waiting patiently for a response. He would give it. He always did. It was just a question of when he would go about doing it. She wanted him to respond because he trusted her, not because she was interrogating him.

"Miyoki wants to die," he said quietly. "While it disturbs me to kill a fellow citizen, I will fulfill tradition and free him from his curse. No, it's…" He slowed his fluffing until one hand rested on the bird's neck and the other on her shoulder. "I am an adult, yet I never felt like it. Now…"

Lightning picked a chunk of mud out of the bird's feathers. She brushed away the dust, then reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine. I know you will. You've gotta grow up all the way. You've gotta cut yourself off from what normal people get, and that's hard. But–" She withdrew her hand. "–I know you'll be just fine. You'll be a great Guardian."

He sighed, softly, but looked at her with a faint smile all the same. "You have faith in me. Why is that?"

"I know what I see."

One eyebrow went up a little. "A vague answer."

She smirked. "It's what you're getting. Be happy with it. Let's finish up this bird."

Patting the fluffy neck, she continued cleaning the feathers on one side while Caius did the other. Neither of them said much except for instructions to each other. As they worked, once in a while they caught each other's eyes, only to look away. Lightning welcomed the chance to see how his eyes changed color depending on the ambient light, but she never lingered long, afraid what Caius might think if she kept staring at him. She didn't want him to think she was interested in him.

Sometime later, the chocobo was clean and silky soft, and she demonstrated her happiness by slinging her head over Lightning's shoulder and trilling. Lightning, who had never visited the Nautilus chocobos and ridden a couple of the Pulse ones without doing much else, wasn't at first sure how to react.

Caius picked up on this. "She likes hugs."

Lightning looked at him. "What, seriously? Hug the bird?"

He smirked. "What, worried she may turn you into her latest meal?"

She glared. "I'm not _afraid_, you." She reached up and encircled the chocobo's neck with both arms. Sure enough, she warbled and rubbed her beak up and down Lightning's spine in a sort of massaging fashion. It felt kind of good, actually. Smiling, Lightning buried her face in the freshly-cleaned feathers, stroking them.

Caius laughed. "See? She's completely fine."

The woman closed her eyes. The simplicity of this moment was somehow overwhelming. There were few words that could describe the feeling of embracing something so warm and soft. This, she knew, could be the last time she would ever do such a thing, at least here in this distant past. For just a little while, she felt safe.

"Do you like them?"

She turned her head so her cheek was still pressed against the bird's neck. "Never thought I would, but, yeah."

His smile was genuine. "They are wonderful creatures."

They were. But sooner or later, she had to face reality, so she let go and stepped back. The chocobo gave a soft _kweh_ and reached out, but Lightning stepped back again, out of range. The two humans walked out of the stable and back into civilization while the bird made soft cries and stomped a foot.

"She doesn't enjoy being left alone," she said.

"Most chocobos don't."

She felt Caius's stare and looked up at him. "What?" she asked.

"You keep to yourself, don't you?"

She crossed her arms and stopped walking. "I'm a loner. I've been all my life. It was only recently that I started getting more social and I'm still getting used to it. I'm alright being a loner for the time being, okay? Get over it."

"Hmm." He imitated her posture. "So _defensive_."

"I'm not defensive."

"Oh, you are, most certainly so."

"No, I am _n_–" She stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Caius," she sighed, "you're starting to really get on my nerves. Enjoy torturing me, huh?"

His sly smile only made her even more irate. "It can be fun to push your buttons, yes."

"Not if I explode and, I don't know, _kill you_."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Honestly?"

She thought this over. Her rather traumatic experiences centered on him in the future were but fading memories now and no longer made her want to punch something. Or someone. "No, I guess not. Sorry." She dropped her arms to her sides. "And I guess I _am_ a little defensive. Look, I've had a rough time of things and I'm still getting over some traumatic stuff, so I'm sorry if I come off as–"

He brought a hand to her shoulder, shutting her up. Admittedly, she hadn't _intended_ to stop talking in the middle of her sentence; she had simply done so without thinking. The weight of his hand was reassuring, reminding her a little of her father's hand way back when she was little, or Snow's when he was trying to comfort her on their journey. It made her feel… better.

"Don't worry so much about everything," he said.

Lightning smiled at him. She saw the anxiety in his eyes, heard the uncertainty in his tone, and thought he probably needed reassurance too. "Yeah," she said with a curt nod. "Everything'll be fine. I know it."

He smiled back, and she felt lightheaded for a moment.

"Caius of the Jenhi clan."

That smile shriveled like a flower in a vat of acid, his dark eyes becoming firm and fierce. He turned away from her, releasing her. Lightning felt her stomach tie itself into a knot while still keeping a neutral expression. Miyoki stood some distance away on stone steps leading up to the city center. Flanked by pillars wrapped in flowering vines, he stood in a pool of golden sunlight, head up, long hair pulled back from his face.

"Miyoki," Caius said, politely but with a bit of tautness to his tone, and bowed his head. "Good to see you."

The man walked down onto flat ground. "Nomin, the chocobos."

Lightning looked around to see Nomin stand up from a small group of fellow hunters, give the Guardian a curt nod, and walk toward the stable. As he closed it up, Miyoki looked between Lightning and Caius. He came closer. Soon he stood within twenty feet of his apprentice, looking him right in the eye, blue garb shining in the sunlight. A small crowd had gathered by now, drawn by the looming threat of blood.

"Ready to kill me, Caius?"

Lightning looked up at her companion. His lips were pressed tight together with the skin taut around his eyes, eyebrows drawn into the familiar expression of "give me a reason to hurt you" she'd seen so many times, but she also saw uncertainty beneath it. Reaching for his spear, he snapped it open and held it up. The crowd of people fell into a hush, all pairs of eyes fixed on the warrior now. A few more people appeared while one darted off toward the city. She spotted Jai across the plaza. Things grew quiet.

Lightning turned and walked over to the crowd, leaving his side. She didn't really want to, but knew that this had to be done. If things continued to go as they were supposed to, Caius would emerge the victor. Sending a silent prayer to whomever was listening, she joined the crowd, which spread out to form a more-or-less circle. A woman shooed a couple of young children, who then ran off into the city. Lightning spotted Yeul approaching with a pair of men.

"If that is what you wish."

Caius's voice was like silk, the tone he always used right before challenging her to a duel. Suddenly every line of his body was strong and tall, shoulders back, left hand resting lightly on his spear while the other clasped it tight. He was in a warrior's stance, knees slightly bent. He was ready, and his rather tight-fitting clothing happily revealed the power lurking beneath the surface.

Lightning caught herself following the lines of his body, a bit amazed at the sight. While she had seen him in action plenty of times, now was when she truly had the chance to look him over. He was muscle and bone, she realized, and not much else. Getting hit by that much mass would be like being punched in the chest by a behemoth, and this was _before_ he gained the additional power of being a l'Cie, and still before the full power of chaos coursed through his body.

She thought, _this ought to be interesting_.

"Good boy." Miyoki sounded pleased as he pulled out his own spear, a more elegantly-decorated weapon with a less barbaric blade. A flick of his wrist unfolded it to its full length, but he held it differently than Caius, hands out on the halves rather than the center. It was more of a quarterstaff, then, one that just happened to have a blade on the end of it. It still looked like it could pack a punch. "Let's do this, then. And quickly, it's gettin' late."

Caius squeezed the spear tighter. "Go right ahead."

Miyoki smirked. "You first."

Caius wasn't stupid enough to do that and just stood there instead, looking patient. Lightning realized he was seeing if he could wait out Miyoki, who was looking to die, and force him to make the first move. For now, this little spat was a game of chess, the pieces in place. Caius seemed content to remain in place, and soon Miyoki began to fidget – not much, just a little twitch here and there, but it was noticeable, at least to her.

Finally, Miyoki flipped his staff – really, it wasn't so much a spear as a staff – and moved forward, closing the gap between them with speed and precision. Caius looked unconcerned, and as Miyoki brought his staff up, Caius did a quick dodge, and it missed him completely.

Miyoki reversed, but missed again. Caius stepped back; the Guardian snapped his staff out, and this time the two clashed. Polished wood and galvanized metal ground on each other; Caius pushed, but Miyoki pushed back, and with the benefit of his l'Cie power he shoved him back, hard. The younger man stumbled and straightened.

"This is going nowhere." Miyoki glared. "Blood. _Blood_, you fool! Draw _blood_!"

Caius grunted, but didn't oblige, remaining in place. Lightning likened him to a pack animal scoping out a kill while the rest of the pack got into position. That coupled with his agility might be enough to save him. At least, she could hope that was the case.

Miyoki gave up and pounced, knocking Caius back a step. Swinging his staff with both hands, he knocked the spear out of the way, then bashed him in the stomach with the blunt end. Lightning heard Caius grunt as the wind rushed out of him; briefly helpless, he could do nothing as Miyoki backhanded him, making him stagger until he fell to the ground with a sharp grunt. When he opened his eyes, they were fierce; he climbed to his feet while catching his breath and jabbed out.

He missed, and Miyoki feinted to _whack_ him across the chest this time.

Lightning winced. Someone beside her shouted, "Come _on_, stop messing around!"

Caius coughed to catch his breath, then came again. The two grappled for a moment before the younger man missed a feint and got jabbed in the stomach again. He doubled over and backed up while the older man glared at him.

"Next time, the blade bites ya!"

Caius hissed through his teeth and leapt forward. Miyoki blocked the strike, but Caius kept going. He immediately showed his advantage by demonstrating his ability to use his spear one-handed: now blocking a strike, now stepping back and swinging up to force another away, now flipping it behind his back to use his left hand as leverage and hit Miyoki in the side so hard that he toppled to the ground. The Guardian narrowly avoided a blade-end strike that went into the dirt instead, rolling away to scramble to his feet. Caius pressed the assault with brute force and speed, the same tactic he had used against her, but with one hand free to block wayward strikes. Finally, Caius snagged the shaft and held it for a split second, long enough to lunge and slash Miyoki across the chest. Blood spattered the dirt and made Caius's spear shine red; he ducked to avoid Miyoki's blind retaliation, slashed out again, made a fresh cut on his stomach, and backpedaled out of range.

"Yes, yes, _good_!" Miyoki looked gleeful. Lightning saw the bloodlust in his eyes now that the smell of it hung faint in the air. The wounds seemed to have cut into the muscle if his sudden stiffness of gait was any indication. "Keep it up, keep it up!"

The pulse jumped along Caius's throat, his breathing quicker and shallower now. His eyes were wide open and focused now. He almost seemed arrogant, standing there looking pleased with himself, having drawn first blood all by himself.

Miyoki came after him again, moving stiffer, and Caius blocked all his strikes, although some of them were a bit tougher than others. They fell into a war dance, kicking up dust that sparkled in the sun, now dodging, now lunging, now trying to decapitate each other, but they were fairly evenly matched now, Miyoki handicapped by his wounded side. Caius fell into a rhythm – slash, step back, duck, repeat – with expression rigid, pulse increasing, breathing hard enough now that his lips were parted.

Lightning knew that face. It was a dangerous one. The only thing missing were his war cries: the man she knew could be quite vocal.

Half a second before the tide turned, both Lightning and Caius seemed to see the warning at the same time, but it was an instant too late. Miyoki suddenly straightened, stiffness gone, and in the space of two pounding heartbeats he kicked Caius's spear aside and brought the bladed end of his staff toward him instead. _One, two, three_ – in a zigzag pattern, Miyoki delivered a set of three quick jabs that had Caius cringing. Then he kicked him in the chest; Caius landed hard on his back.

Lightning bit down on her tongue to keep herself from speaking. The crowd began to mutter. She fidgeted. _Come on, get up_.

There was pain on Caius's face as he twisted to climb to his feet. Miyoki didn't let him, bringing his staff down blunt end first to knock the wind out of him, flipping the bladed end around. Caius managed to wriggle out of the way and kick Miyoki in the kneecap, but it was a struggle for him to get up. As Miyoki fumed from the kick and struggled to stand properly, Caius managed to stand. There was a bruise on his arm and three bleeding wounds on his torso. One was on his ribs and interfered with his breathing as he pressed a hand to it and drew a shallow breath.

"Had enough?" Miyoki taunted him, smirking again.

Caius gritted his teeth, eyes fierce. "You know how stubborn I am, Miyoki," he said, wheezing slightly.

"Comin' for more?"

The darkhaired man stared at him with eyes of fire. Barely standing straight even with all his strength, he slung his spear around, unleashed a fierce war cry that made the crowd go deathly silent, and leapt to close the distance, spear overhead. Miyoki suddenly gained a very surprised expression and narrowly blocked his strike, but that left him open elsewhere; Caius backhanded him with his left hand before kicking him in the midsection again.

Miyoki went on the defensive, struggling to block Caius's ferocity, stepping left and right and all over in an attempt to get on the offensive again. Caius cut his arm with a well-placed jab, twisted, half-crouched, and whacked him in the midsection with the bladed end. Miyoki bled; the younger man pressed the offensive. There was exhaustion in his eyes now, weariness in the lines of his face, but he still fought. No fancy footwork, no graceful moves, just brute force and speed on his side.

Miyoki finally knocked him away. "That's better," he said. "Now it's my turn."

Letting out a selection of strikes than never quite connected, he abandoned all sense and just swung the bladed end around with both hands.

Caius released his grip on his spear, which he'd been holding with two hands, to try to grab the staff again. Instead of the shaft this time, though, he miscalculated the distance and grabbed the blade instead, where it immediately dug into his hand. Blood seeped from the cut; Caius winced, but held even as Miyoki pushed with all his strength. The younger man's arm trembled; Miyoki leered at him.

"Doesn't this _anger_ you? Doesn't this just make you wanna _kill_ me? And just think, when you're a l'Cie, you'll get all strong too!"

Lips peeling back from his teeth, Caius demonstrated his anger with a roar of defiance. Wrapping his fingers around the blade, he jerked it back, pulling his mentor off-balance. However, when he brought his spear down for a solid blow, Miyoki twisted to avoid it, yanked his staff free, and swung it around like a club to completely tear Caius off his feet, sending him flying.

This time, when he hit the ground, Lightning felt her heart stop.

Caius landed so hard that she heard his body hit the dirt with a harsh _thud_, shoulder-first. He tumbled a little further, then landed almost facedown, groaning softly. His mentor straightened, not breathing hard. For someone wanting to die, he was making a big show of trying to kill Caius, and she wondered why.

"Guess you were right all along." Miyoki walked up to his apprentice, sprawled on the ground, and stood over him with a dark scowl. "You're weak. All that youth and energy and agility and strength… you don't use 'em." For good measure, he delivered a nice kick to the man's side. Caius grunted sharply and cringed; Lightning tried not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. "If you can't be normal and beat a l'Cie – an _old_ l'Cie – then how can you protect your home when you _are_ one?"

He turned away. Lightning saw Yeul off to her right, watching Miyoki walk off. She wondered if the girl doubted her knowledge of the future, or had Lightning's presence changed the outcome somehow? Oh, _anything_ but that. Just the thought horrified her as she gazed at Caius. Her first instinct was to stay where she was, but it was neck-and-neck with another that told her to go over to him.

Miyoki looked at Nomin. The man looked back, blue eyes bright. "You'll replace him. You've got what it takes."

Nomin nodded curtly.

It was in that moment that Lightning began to prepare for failure while holding on to hope. Caius had failed, but there was always a chance he could do better in the future. He needed someone to help him up, but she wasn't going to be the one. She couldn't. It was too dangerous. She had already grown attached to the land and culture. She could not let herself grow attached to _him_.

As she stared at him, she saw him push himself up an inch or two before stopping and wincing. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. This lasted a few seconds; he opened them again, looking at the crowd, gaze sweeping over the staring faces. She met his eyes and saw the shame in them.

But then he hesitated, staring back at her, lips parted in a slight pant. Then he planted his spear in the ground, braced himself, and pushed.

The atmosphere immediately changed. Caius barely managed to get himself up on both feet before half-collapsing with a sharp cry of pain, falling to one knee again. Lightning flinched. He forced his legs under him, stumbling but righting himself. His long, lean, powerful body unfolded, kinks ignored, shoulders back, arm raised with spear in hand. The other hand hung at his side with the fingers in a fist.

Miyoki was facing him again, now with a smirk. "Die or keep on fightin'. Make up your mind!"

Caius glared back at him.

"You're the reason fal'Cie choose humans," Miyoki said, raising his staff with the blade pointed at Caius. "Gotta have some broken bones, shattered ribs, and you _don't give up_."

Lightning hid her satisfied smirk.

Things happened quickly: Miyoki threw himself forward, one arm out, the staff overhead. Caius braced himself against the onslaught and blocked most of the blows. Miyoki swung, faster than ever, Caius sidestepped, suddenly threw his weight to the other leg, and crouched, slashing out. Mid-swing, as Miyoki reacted, Caius flipped the spear around his back, twisted, used his right hand to just _barely_ influence the path of Miyoki's staff, and impaled him.

There was the _crack_ of bone and _thud_ of flesh.

Miyoki hung off Caius's spear with his staff on the ground. Alongside the pain, there was pride, relief. The old man grinned, baring red-painted teeth from which blood dripped to the dust.

"_Freedom_!" Miyoki coughed the word.

He trembled as more blood ran down the spear. Caius moved it, the man still on it, and gently slid him off so that he lay on his back on the dirt. As blood pooled and darkened the thirsty earth, Miyoki stared up at the sky, glassy-eyed, a slave no more.

Lightning said nothing. Caius stood, stiffly, slowly, and rammed the business end of the spear into the dirt at the old man's head, standing a moment, giving the l'Cie a moment of silence. Then, head up, breathing taut, he managed to make his way across the clearing to the seeress. In front of her, wordlessly, he lowered himself to one knee, wincing, shoulders shaking as he went down, and bowed his head, eyes on the ground.

Yeul reached out, touching his shoulder. "I accept you as my Guardian, Caius of the Jenhi clan," she said simply.

Caius said nothing, but his body relaxed a bit.

Lightning saw how he swayed when he stood up, seeming to struggle to keep his feet under him. Face neutral, he gave Yeul a nod, then turned, heading toward the city. He was still bleeding and his breathing was poor; she saw how he fought to stay upright, pausing slightly every couple of steps. Though he kept his chin up, every step was a bit more of a chore than the last.

"He's gonna fall," she muttered.

To her right, someone said, "He's not gonna fall, he'll make it."

Lightning glanced at him. "Look at him! And listen. He's in pain– he's not– there's no _way_–"

As she spoke, Caius suddenly stopped with a hand to his chest to the left of his heart. The telltale signs were all there – quivering knees, shaky breath, trembling shoulders. Moving on instinct, she separated from the crowd, and just as he started to go down, she reached him and caught him with both arms, one bracing his shoulders and the other hand on his back. As he sagged against her, head on her shoulder, he still tried to brace himself and push her away, still tried to stand.

"Hey," she whispered, "I've got you, it's okay." She squeezed his shoulder, and he seemed to give up or his legs just give out because suddenly she was supporting him completely. He was heavier than she expected; she sidestepped to keep herself upright as she shouted, "Physician! Now!"

Jai bounded forward. "Got this side, you get the other," he said, slinging an arm around Caius's waist while taking his arm to encircle his neck.

She mimicked Jai, half-supporting Caius against her. A groan of pain fell from his lips, having an interesting effect: it sent a shot of adrenaline through her as she hugged him closer. He was too precious to lose, not now, not so close to the end.

"There's a lot of blood," he murmured.

Of all the things he could say, he chose _that_. "Don't much care." When he looked up at her, eyes thick with pain, she smiled at him and he gave her a faint smile back. She felt blood on her shirt but shrugged it off: it was only blood and it would come out. It was the least of her worries.

Leaving the crowd and dead l'Cie, the two carried Caius, blood and all, into the city, heading for the physician.


	16. Feelings

_**Feelings**_

It was night. Things were peaceful. Crickets chirped outside her window with a warm breeze blowing through it. The sheets were soft and the pillows softer. Nothing hurt. It was a perfect night, not too noisy and not too warm. The moon had risen, passed across the sky, and set. The only light came from the stars as they shone in the sky.

Lightning couldn't sleep, stomach tied into knots by worry. _Caius_. His name ran through her head as every possible horrible scenario trailed after it. She imagined cracked ribs, broken bones, sprained vertebrae, torn ligaments, all sorts of painful injuries, and felt sick, even nauseous. What if he died? There was the possibility her presence had somehow changed the outcome of the battle and the original hadn't been so brutal. Yeul hadn't seemed worried, but who could tell with that girl?

_Stay here in bed. It's the middle of the night and they're either working on him or he's asleep, or dead_. Her mind slapped that qualifier at the end of the thought, making her feel even more sick. Gripping the pillow with both hands and gritting her teeth, she chanted a mantra in her head, over and over. _Stop being worried. He's just the crux of the timeline. Stop being worried. He's just_–

Throwing back the sheets, she stripped off her nightclothes and put on her day clothes, hurrying out into the streets and heading for the physician. She didn't care that her hair was a complete mess or there were wrinkles pressed into her arms from tossing and turning. Walking with the purposeful stride she reserved for her most important duties, she made good time and reached the hospital in a few minutes.

At night, the hospital was guarded by a trio of warriors. At her approach, they grew rigid, but quickly recognized her and relaxed again. Nevertheless, as she approached, one stepped forward to block her way.

"What're you here for, Claire?" he asked.

Lightning looked up at the man's face to see that it was Nomin, blue eyes pure in the shadows. His expression was a little perplexing. "Checking on a friend. I need to see him."

"It's the mid–"

"I won't cause trouble and I won't wake him. I just want to kn–"

"Let her go, Nomin," another voice said. When she glanced sidelong, she saw that it was Spry, towering over them with his great bulk, half-smiling at her. "I get it. Go see your friend."

Nomin didn't look happy about this, but he obeyed, stepping back. Lightning moved past him and walked into the hospital to see that the reception area was empty. She hesitated, looking all around, and was just about to call out when a nurse stepped from a back room, her customary robes flowing like liquid gold to the floor. The two women blinked at each other.

"Claire, you're back, and in the middle of the night." The nurse – a woman Lightning had never gotten the name of – lifted an eyebrow at her. "Does your knee hurt again?"

"No, it's fine. I need to see Caius."

The nurse seemed confused for a second before a smile spread across her lips. "Just so you know, he's stable and sleeping peacefully. He'll need some time to mend and plenty of rest before he can even get up again."

"Can I see him?"

"You seem pretty insistent." Pause. "And sickly pale."

Lightning rubbed her cheek. It was cold. "Sorry, it's just– I can't… I can't sleep. Just let me see him so I know I saw he was fine with my own eyes. I won't wake him and I won't disturb him. Then I can come back when he's awake and–"

"Down the hall where we had you," the nurse interrupted, gesturing. "Quiet. There are other patients."

Lightning swallowed. "Thanks," she said, and walked on.

A few moments later, she lifted the curtain to see Caius lying there on his side on the cot, one arm folded under his head as a makeshift pillow, dark hair splayed out across the pillow. She bit her lip. Finally, she discerned the rise and fall of his chest with his breathing and exhaled a sigh of relief, suddenly weak. She steadied herself by leaning on the wall, covering her face.

That had been too close. She had come too close to losing him and voiding her purpose here. Although she could not guarantee him dying as a normal human would get him infused with the Heart, she couldn't take the chance. It made her sick, the thought of him dying.

"Caius," she breathed, looking at him again. "You _gotta_ be more careful, reckless moron."

Caius didn't stir, content to sleep. Careful not to disturb him, she moved to his side and examined his arm. He appeared to be at least shirtless, and although the sheets were drawn to cover him to the shoulders, his left arm was exposed. There was a bruise on it and a couple of cuts. Lightning winced. She'd been thrown hard enough to injure herself like that before and knew exactly how painful it was.

"You sleep and heal up, hear?" she whispered, and reached out. Before she had a chance to control her movements, she found her fingertips lightly brushing aside one of the feathers over his temple. He still said nothing, but this time he moved, turning his face a little more into the pillow.

Startled by her own involuntary movements, she snatched her hand back, cradling it against her chest. After a second, she considered this reaction and thought about how stupid it seemed. Even if he'd been awake, she very much doubted he would have objected to being touched like that. But perhaps _that_ was the thought that scared her most, more even than the thought of _why_ she'd done it.

Backing up to the curtain, she watched him a moment longer, as if to make sure he was really alright. When he made no further movements, she sighed, relieved, and left.

She returned home and slept until morning.

* * *

With nothing to fight and no one to confront, Snow found it very hard not to think.

"Let me ask again, _why_ can't I leave?"

The Arbiter had been ignoring him for some time now and gone off into some part of this strange world, thereby leaving Snow all by himself. He spoke more or less to the empty air and tendrils of darkness that appeared when he tried to head for the gate, and if he got close enough, it snagged him and anchored him to floor. To say it worried him was an understatement. Utterly alone, he paced around the Coliseum, looking for something to do. In his head he saw the timeline fraying and changing with bits of it snapping off and vanishing. So much of it had changed that much of what Serah and Noel had encountered was simply nonexistent now.

"Can't leave." Snow circled the Coliseum, unhappy. "Can't leave, can't go help my sis, can't go help my wife-to-be, can't go help Noel. _Ugh_, what am I _missing_?"

The Coliseum, he had eventually discovered, perched on the same plane as the Void Beyond, giving it a direct link to Valhalla. It was easy to come and go between the three areas, if he were allowed to, so it didn't surprise him when a rift beast or Eidolon came stumbling through looking utterly confused. He had even seen Lightning's Eidolon come through, but he hadn't given Snow a thought before going straight through the wall. Once, he'd seen a moogle with a pink crystal bobble looking lost, but when Snow tried to reach out to him, he panicked and disappeared as well. What was worse was Snow _knew_ it was Mog. He just _knew_. What was Mog doing here instead of with Serah?

"Can I at least walk around outside?" he mumbled.

Grumbling under his breath, he paused, sighed, and pivoted to walk the other way. Against his will, a yelp of shock came out of him before he crossed his arms.

"Back?" he muttered.

Caius had returned, a silent shadow in the center of the Coliseum as if he'd always been there when Snow could swear he'd been missing a minute ago. "I've been restless as of late, and Valhalla is void of anyone I can speak to," he said. "So I came here."

Snow gave him a wry smile. "Guess I'm flattered you picked me to hang out with. Still not all that convinced you don't want to destroy the world anymore."

"_I_ do not, no."

"Alright, then what about your, uh, 'past selves'? They're still causin' trouble. Serah and Noel are dealing with one right now, as a matter of fact. And it looks like they've got their work cut out for them." Snow sighed. "Enough's changed that they won't go to Valhalla and don't need to save Lightning anymore. Fine. But there's still the issue of that crystal pillar…"

Caius looked up at the flickering torches on the walls. "I can interfere."

"Oh, two Caius's at once? Watch out. Y'know, it's like dividing by zero, could implode the universe or somethin'."

"Snow." Caius's voice was very firm. "I spent thirteen hundred years looking for a way to end the cycle of death and rebirth as well as free myself from my immortal curse. Where I could find no solution that did not involve the death of millions or utter worldwide entropy, Lightning has."

Pause. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Snow took a deep breath. "Caius, if you go, you know what'll happen."

"I cannot let her efforts go to waste. Time is not a linear progression. It is a path built for humanity, without which we cannot make sense of reality. All things happen at once on the timeline, yet everything is spaced far apart all the same. It is the ripple effects that worry me. Chaos has the power to swallow the entire timeline, not just the world's endpoint."

Snow nodded. "I get that. But you'd just–"

"Snow, if I don't, she may not succeed, and if she did and I did not go, I would live as a paradox in a world I don't belong in."

Snow clamped his mouth shut, understanding. He didn't like it. So many people and events had already vanished along the timeline that this bothered him. Caius was once the enemy. He had wanted to destroy the world. Now he resigned himself to his fate and was prepared to face it with dignity. One missed loophole had thrown a curveball in his plans… and he _accepted_ it.

Bu Snow couldn't let it go. "Why, though? Why would you want to undermine your own plans? You loved that girl, the seeress, and you did all this for _her_. Now you're just gonna–" Then he trailed off, staring at Caius, and suddenly felt very sad. He knew why he was doing this. Knew, and understood. "You know what? Do what you think's best."

"This time, I will _not_ do what I think is best."

Pause. "You know, everyone will get to live forever if you bite it."

"Whether no one else lives forever or everyone does, immortality is a curse that should be endured by no man."

Snow watched as he turned away. "She'll live forever _with_ you."

Caius paused halfway up the steps to the gate. "This is not just for myself, or her, or the rest of the world, but Yeul as well. If she succeeds, Yeul will never have a reason to be reborn as I would never have been immortal to begin with. In the end, this is still about her."

"Lightning will remember."

"So will you."

"I know."

"No one else can know. No matter what, keep this to yourselves. Let the rest of the world go on as if nothing so terrible could ever happen. The beginning of the timeline and the end of it has vanished. More will go. And before the end, all things will become one and be swallowed by the void."

Snow felt chills as he thought about what this meant. "It'll be over real fast, though."

Caius kept going.

"Won't it?"

"Fast enough," the man said, and then he was gone.

Snow stared at the gate, watching in his head as the timeline began to shift. At the end of it, a small piece dropped away, taking its possibilities with it, where it fell into the Rift and was swallowed by the nothing within.

* * *

Lightning managed to keep it together until midmorning. After a filling breakfast of fish brought in by some early morning traders with fruit, a potato-like vegetable with a thick green skin, and eggs, she made herself busy for an hour or two by going and seeing the traders as they came in. Some of them had come clear from Oerba and brought even more fish, purple dye, cotton, and more beads than she could count in a hundred lifetimes. In return, Paddra handed over its special green and yellow dyes, silk spun from the fat silkworms living in the foothills, faeryl hide and ivory (some from the faeryl she'd helped kill so long ago), and vegetables grown in the fields. She found this so interesting to watch that she didn't notice when two girls came up behind her.

Until they pounced. "_Hello_!"

Lightning jumped and glared down at them. "What th– _hey_! You're supposed to be at _school_!"

Malo rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom."

"During trade season we have fewer school days," Anhui explained. "Some of make stuff, you know, and the teachers… well, they know we can't focus when there's so much stuff going on. So, we don't have school today."

Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, great, good for you."

Malo looked very happy while Anhui looked around with narrowed eyes. "Caius is usually hanging around these things," she muttered. "I don't see him. Haven't seen him for a while, actually. Is he okay? Wait, he more hurt from that fall than you said?"

Lightning patted her shoulder. "He's a Guardian now, but was seriously injured in the ceremony."

Malo squeaked in dismay. Anhui said, "Oh, _no_."

"He's fine. In fact, I'm going to go check up on him, _alone_." No need to have these two trailing after her while she went to visit him. The last thing he needed was a couple of energetic young girls. "Well, he's _alive_, anyway. It'll be some time before he's completely healed."

The girls exchanged glances. "Well, if he's alive…"

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. Hey," she said, pointing, "why don't you look at those flowers? You might find some of your favorites in there. Go on." She gave each a gentle push to send them on their way, and once they were moving toward the flower trader some distance away, she headed into the city. That was more than enough sightseeing – time to check on Caius.

The hospital was very quiet except for someone having a minor coughing fit in a corner room. She ignored it and headed toward Caius's room, giving the nurse from last night a nod. No one stopped her, although all of them gave her quick glances as she passed. When she reached his room, she grasped the curtain and pulled it back.

Instead of lying on his side asleep, Caius was sitting up, face in his palms, looking like he'd just woken up. The bruise on his arm looked worse, and now there was one on his shoulder too – a big, dark one that looked as painful as it was ugly. As she had suspected last night, he was indeed shirtless, exposing the greenish bruise on his ribs, the slashes on his torso, the scars from previous years of fights and scuffles–

And a body that made her blush.

It wasn't like she had never seen shirtless men before. Military men liked to show off their tattoos and six-packs no matter who was in the room. In the early years they'd tried to get her and the other female recruits to notice, but the women paid no heed and they eventually stopped being peacocks, almost seeming to forget they were in the room at times. But who was she kidding? It really didn't matter _how_ many shirtless men she'd seen, she wasn't immune to it and still capable of noticing when a man with a great physique was in the room.

She caught herself staring at how badly beat-up he was and had to wrench herself out of it when he looked up at her.

"Claire," he said.

Lightning looked back at his injuries and winced. "Still in pain?"

He nodded, propping himself on both elbows. It made not only his physique but also the extent of his injuries more obvious, although it seemed less painful a position for him. "How does it look? As bad as it feels?"

Lightning looked him over. All his open wounds had been patched, but… "Not too."

He tilted his head. "You don't need to spare my feelings."

"You look horrible."

He gave a slight laugh, but dissolved into a cough and flinched. Lightning walked up to his side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Lie down," she said, and pressed gently. He gave her a face, but seemed grateful that she'd insisted as he lay back down again. Before he could do it himself, she tugged the sheets up to cover his chest. "Stay here, you."

"I'm not a dog," he said, but sighed in defeat all the same.

Pause. "Why no shirt?"

He glanced down. "They took it off to care for my wounds and left it off overnight so they could air out."

"Anything broken?"

"A couple of my ribs were cracked, but not broken. They should heal soon." He patted the sheets where the bruise on his ribs was. "It will be difficult to breathe for a while. Still, they know it is imperative I be branded a l'Cie, so they said it should only be a few days before I can get up. They also said being a l'Cie would speed up the healing process."

"Good. Guess I won't worry."

He chuckled. "You worry no matter what. It seems to be in your nature."

"You're probably right."

Looking at her, he said, "A nurse said you came to check on me last night."

She narrowly avoided gritting her teeth. What was he going to think? Probably that she cared about him as more than a friend. Friends check up on each other, didn't they? That's what she gathered. Then again, most of what she knew about adult friendships had come from a journey with a bunch of l'Cie and television. Maybe it was normal for her to check on him as just a friend. Maybe in this culture it meant something else. Of course, she could never tell him why she was here to begin with, so he'd probably jump to a whole bunch of conclusions. She hadn't exactly given him any reason not to…

"You're a friend," she said. "I worry about my friends."

He smiled. "Thank you."

"If you ever need me for _anything_, you let me know. This transition, you know, after you killed Miyoki, it'll be hard. I went through something similar and I can help. If you ever need someone to talk to or insult or yell at… I'm here."

"You," he said, "are _always_ here."

Lightning felt herself pale a little at that realization. She thought back to all the times he had talked to her because she'd been willing to listen and when he had gotten hurt and she had been the first to help him. She thought about how many times she had opened herself up and let him touch her and tease her and get her riled up, finding herself thinking _he's there for me, too_.

Immediately her failsafe protocols kicked in and slammed down steel walls around that realization. No. She was _not_ going to let that happen. It was far too dangerous. She still had to get him to finish his Focus and crystallize, and she had to go home to real life. Maybe then she could reopen those walls. Not here. No. No, no, _no_. Already she liked the culture; she could _not_ add him to the list.

She stepped back. "Rest up. Trade season'll be over soon." As she left, she conjured up as many images as she could of the warrior in Valhalla. She reminded herself of the pain of him throwing her across the city, trying to kill her as his Eidolon, crippling her knee, going after his goal without heed to anyone or anything. _That_ was the Caius she had to remember. This was just a job for the sake of the entire world.

As she left the hospital, she gritted her teeth. She couldn't deny what she felt in her heart, but she had to for her own sake, and for his, and the world's. In the end, she was a point of life on a sphere orbiting the sun that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things even one bit.

She headed out into the city.

The days passed slowly. Lightning kept her hands busy, helping with the traders. There were lots of them, a near-constant stream heading into the city, staying a while, and then leaving at night. Unfortunately, she was short-tempered, biting her words if anyone asked what was wrong. She even snapped at the two girls, which made her feel guilty, but didn't apologize even when they gave her looks that really hurt to see. It was only when someone told her to quit and go home a day later that she realized how she was behaving and went home to sulk.

That afternoon, she started feeling the nagging desire to see Caius again. It was strange. No longer worried, she had no practical reason to go see him. She just _wanted_ to. The sound of his voice was reassuring, his smile a relaxing sight. Soon, the memories of the battle-hardened monster in the guise of a man with jewel-tone eyes faded from her mind again, leaving only this man of the past instead.

Instead of sulking, she got up and headed back out into the city. The traders had set up all sorts of temporary shops and the air was filled with voices, strange scents, and the scent of flowers. To get to the hospital from where she lived, she only had to go _around_ it all, but this time she took the longer route through it.

She didn't regret it.

The first shopkeeper she passed was from Oerba, and her wares were made mostly of brightly-colored, beautifully-beaded blankets hanging from the rafters and folded neatly for display. There was a small crowd of people there, all gazing at the intricate beadwork laid out as jewelry. Someone was holding a necklace inlaid with tiny green stones and beadwork in floral patterns, all of which sparkled in the sunlight. Lightning passed over that shop, but she _did_ hesitate to stare in awe at the wares a moment.

Further on, she found someone selling pieces of oretoise shell, most of it flattened out and polished. As a demonstration of what it could be used for, a mosaic made entirely of shell stood behind the shopkeeper, no doubt used as a screen to separate rooms. Some of the shells had been dyed different colors and hammered very thin, through which the sunlight shone in a rainbow of color.

What finally caught her eye was a shopkeeper tending to a display of flower arrangements. Moving closer, she saw dozens of different types of blooms, some as big as her head, others no larger than her pinkie fingernail, bobbing in the breeze of the passerby. The shopkeeper noticed and smiled. "Hello there," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. "What can I do for you?"

Lightning bent over a display of blue and purple orchids grinning up at her. "Couldn't help it," she said.

The woman laughed. "Tended them myself. Sure are pretty, huh?"

Lightning agreed by nodding. "Do they all mean different things? I know they do here."

"Sure do." The woman tugged on a large green flower. "This here's a Sulyya lily. The green means happiness or joy or whatever you wanna call it. And this one, this color–" She pointed to the blue and purple orchids. "–these mean strength. But that's just in Tesrai. Here, they mean 'love'."

Lightning blushed. She'd considered picking one out for her companion laid up in the hospital, but the difference in the language of flowers between Paddra and Tesrai could be… awkward. "Do any of these mean 'strength' in– wait." She pointed to a blue flower with a bright green stem. "This. This one here. I'll take that one. I know that _it_ means 'strength'."

Purchasing it and holding it carefully secure against her breast, she hurried on to the hospital, feeling a little silly about carrying a flower. When she walked into the hospital, those up and about gave her knowing looks as she passed. After greeting the nurse who usually tended to Caius, she slipped into his room to find him sitting up and staring sourly out the window at the sunshine.

She hid the flower. "Hey, you."

He looked at her and gave her a warm smile. "Claire," he said. "Good to see you."

"How're you feeling?" As she spoke, she examined his still-exposed upper body. The bruise was much smaller and lighter and the majority of the bruises on his torso were gone. He also seemed to be breathing alright.

"Much better." Pause. "What've you got?"

"Hmm? Oh." Fighting her sudden embarrassment, she produced the flower. He cocked an eyebrow. "It's the same one you brought me when my knee blew out, so I figured it was… y'know, fitting." Feeling awkward, she stepped forward and laid the flower on the small table beside the cot. "Hope it… helps. I mean, looking at a flower won't do wonders for your injuries, but… it's what it means that counts."

As she withdrew, he touched her hand. Her stomach flipped over immediately. "Thank you. It _does_ help."

"Mmm-hmm." She swallowed. "You're welcome."

After she left, she poked around, looking for things to do, and finally settled on helping to clean the chocobo stables, which kept her busy most of the day.

A few more days passed, and each day she fought the urge to see Caius, instead going to see Yeul about four days after giving him the flower. Nomin and Roscoe flanked the entrance. Nomin glanced at her; Roscoe nodded. Smiling back at him but ignoring Nomin, she went inside.

As she entered, she felt odd. Miyoki wasn't there anymore to gripe at her or be the sharp-tongued old man she knew him as. While it made her feel better to know he'd found some peace, she still felt funny about it. No l'Cie wanted to remain a l'Cie, and none wanted either of the options given to them. Most, even herself and the others she'd traveled with, would choose death over slavery.

"Claire, good to see you."

Lightning looked around and saw Yeul poking at a flowering bush. "Why haven't you told everyone about the army and why haven't you mentioned the monster?" she demanded.

The girl blinked at her. "It is not time yet."

"I say it _is_. There's only a little more time left in trading season, and we _have_ to take care–"

"Claire, please," Yeul interrupted firmly. "Rest assured that everything is proceeding as it should. Now, as for _your_ flustered state, there isn't a need."

Lightning hesitated. "You heard about that?"

"Your temperament has been most unsatisfactory as of late. There is no need for you to be so angry about enjoying Caius's company."

Lightning stared at her, not comprehending. "I don't–"

"You don't like that you makes you happy, do you? That he gives you joy?"

Lightning pictured him and felt a blanket of contentment settle over her. She could trust this man and he gave her joy because he helped her forget her failings, showed her she was not alone, could smile and make her forget how to think, could touch her and make her breath catch.

"Not really," she muttered.

Yeul laughed. "Claire, let it go. We have an end-of-season festival to celebrate the bountiful harvest and the end of the trading season. Enjoy it with us. When that is over I will tell the city about the army."

Lightning felt like arguing, but didn't. "Fine. I'll stop."

"Good. I have discovered that Caius must face the monster with his new power to learn how to control it as well as prove himself worthy of being a Guardian. He must be the one to do it and he must win, or…" She looked away.

"Or what?"

The girl took a deep breath. "Or _I_ may be forced to seal it away. If I do, the repercussions could lead to a distortion in the timeline and cause grief in the future for many people. However, I have seen that it is unlikely for him to win and I may be forced to do it. I hope that isn't the case."

Lightning frowned, thinking this seemed familiar, but brushed it off. "I guess I should go check on him."

"He was released this morning."

Oh. "That's good." Although she kept her expression neutral, in her heart she was smiling a little. _He was released this morning_. That meant he was alright. That meant he would be fine. "Where is he?"

"He went to Ixion, our patron fal'Cie, to be branded. As Guardian, he will receive the Oathbrand – the special brand only Guardians receive. When he is finished, he will return here and take his place at my side. Then he must go to face the monster in the wilderness."

Lightning nodded. "I'll go with him."

"What?"

"I'll go with him. Maybe a little perspective'll help him win right? It can't hurt. If I go and we beat that thing, it'll be all good 'til the season's end. Besides, you said he'll need me. I'm a warrior and I can help."

Yeul nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, you should go."

The two looked at each other with expressions demonstrating their agreement on the matter. Lightning was just about to go back out into the lobby to sit and wait for Caius to return when they heard the tapestry rustle as it was lifted. She looked over her shoulder while Yeul gazed past her. She felt a brief lightheadedness as she saw Caius walk into view, his gait stiff and expression one of concentration. He dropped the tapestry; she walked up to him.

"So, you're a l'Cie now," she said. "Good for you, I guess."

He looked at her. "Ixion did not respond," he said quietly. "I am not a l'Cie."

Lightning frowned. "What? A fal'Cie refused to brand you? Yeah, right. They're always looking for an excuse to turn us into slaves. Findin' it hard to bel–" She stopped. "Sorry. I know it meant a lot to you and you need it to finish healing."

"I must still face the monster, Claire," he said, and his voice was strained.

"You won't do it alone, Caius."

"You don't understand. The monster is only a few miles away. I _must_ face it _now_, l'Cie or not."

"You're still in pain," she murmured.

"I can manage. I _must_ protect my home, no matter what."

"You could die."

"Claire, the important thing is protecting my home and Yeul and my people. My life comes _after_ that."

"But–" She reached out without thinking and smoothed a hand across his shoulder – the one without the bruise – while staring at it. "I hate seeing you in pain. I _hate_ it. You came so close to death twice already and now you just want to add a third to…" She trailed off, not sure what to say.

His hand came up to clasp hers. Lightning was suddenly terrified. No one did that. _No one_. People did _not_ touch her like that, in comfort, in understanding. Why was he doing that? And _why_ did she suddenly feel so _strange_? Her thoughts turned into a mess. She didn't feel the need to speak, although there were words bubbling behind her lips that struggled to get out all the same. _Let go. Let go. I think there's something wrong. I think you just triggered some kind of illness. I don't feel so good_.

"Try not to worry. I'm far more tenacious than you give me credit for. I will fight to my last breath."

_And if you die_… "You can't."

"That is my duty as Guardian. My people come first. I _must_ complete my Focus."

"You don't _have_ one yet." Her words were a little shaky. _Come on, let go. Please let go. Oh, wait, just drop your hand and he'll let go_. But she couldn't make herself do it. It felt so _good_, his warmth and the pulse of life in his fingers against her knuckles. Lightning tried to make herself tough again, but his touch, just his _touch_, completely demolished that foundation. Was it her bane? No, wait, this was _weakness_. Weakness, weakness, _weakness_. This was _bad_. She couldn't fight like this. She'd become a dainty little thing because she was _weak_ and this felt so _good_ and she felt _safe_–

"I will soon." His voice was still firm, but lower. Had he come closer? Wait, yes, he had. "When I have it, I will not fail. And when I face the monster… I ask that you go with me."

When she looked up at him, he was closer than he'd ever been. He was handsome, she saw, with beautiful amethyst eyes that were more of a dark blue in the ambient light. The proximity made her nauseous, trembling slightly. _Too close_. Trying to get control of her breathing, she swallowed.

"I… I'll just…" She didn't do this. _Lightning_ didn't stumble over her own tongue or not have quite enough air in her lungs to speak. She _never_ lost control.

It took her a moment to realize that Caius's voice wasn't steady, either, and there was a faint blush to his skin that was _definitely_ not from the ambient heat. This, somehow, made her feel better, knowing that he was just as nervous with how close they were as she was.

"I'll go." Her voice was stronger now. As she spoke, he squeezed her hand, sending a rush of feeling into her. "You won't do this alone. I was just telling Yeul it'd be a good idea." Her voice was strong, but hushed.

His smile was very slight. It only lasted a second, though, before the faint blush became more obvious and he let go of her hand, taking a quick step back. Lightning remembered that Yeul was there behind her. Great. She and Caius had literally, if briefly, carved out their own little world, as if they were only two people in all of existence. What a strange experience _that_ had been.

"Yes, good, thank you." He became businesslike again and she followed suit. "Give me a few minutes to prepare, as it could be a… lengthy… campaign."

"No sweat," she said, nodding curtly. He walked past, heading for a back room, while Lightning kept her back to Yeul and gritted her teeth. How was she going to explain this? How could she face _anyone_ after _that_? At least it had not been on the streets, where the two of them getting that close might've led others to believe they were interested in each other. They weren't. Not by a long shot. That was just a fluke. _Only_ a fluke.

"Claire," Yeul said.

Lightning dredged up the courage to face her. "Yeah, what?"

Yeul looked her in the eye. "Joy."


	17. Branded by Pulse

_**Branded by Pulse**_

Lightning woke from her nap aware she was going to be late if she didn't pick up the pace.

As she dried off after a fast shower and tried to get her hair to behave, she hesitated, then, with careful hands, she adjusted it so all of it rested on her left shoulder, leaving the other shoulder bare. It was nearly dry by the time she got dressed, and this time she tended to the smaller details – smoothing down the hairs, pulling the wrinkles out of her clothes, making sure the beads and shells she'd kept from her old outfit were just r–

Lightning blinked, yanked on her shirt, snorted, and left.

It was afternoon and the sun was sinking to the horizon. Things were quieting down; traders had set up temporary shops here and there to cater to those who still wanted to hang out in the heat. Lightning glanced at a couple of them as she passed to see flower merchants, fruit and vegetable sellers, containers of dye, baskets of fish, beads, shells… hundreds of different items all sold by the different nations.

As she approached Caius from behind, where he waited in the front plaza, she stopped, gazing at his back.

In no time at all, Caius would be a crystal statue and she would be back home. As long as she didn't die or be badly injured, she could help him with any issue he ran into. Soon this would all be over and the nightmares would be gone forever. The world would not speed forth into entropy. She would go home and be able to live a comfortable life with her friends and family.

But there was something else, a lot further down, nestled up beside her soul. When she thought back across the weeks – months, had it been, or only weeks? She couldn't remember – she kept remembering all the things these people had done for her. Letting her have a custom-built collapsible blade at half price, trusting her to pay back the rest later. Malo and Anhui pitying her and showing her bits of the nation's culture. Caius helping her after she had crippled her knee again. Yeul refusing to let her be too concerned about anything. Miyoki, in spite of being the old, grouchy man he was, having a wry sense of levity.

Caius checking on her in the hospital. Being regularly kind to her. Telling her about himself. Opening his heart to her. Making her smile. Making her _blush_.

Lightning felt her throat tighten up. Where she came from in Cocoon, the world of modern conveniences, it'd been every man for himself, more or less. Sure, there had been people like Snow who had gone out of their way to help others, but in the end, everyone kept to themselves. There was instant communication and no need to be physically present to speak to each other. There had been endless suspicion of the lowerworld of Pulse. While the community she'd be going back to would be close-knit like this, eventually it would become a cityscape like Academia, and that closeness would be gone.

She liked it here. People knew her by name and the hunters treated her like one of their own, even though she had never been on a group hunt with them.

And Caius…

When she went home, she would never see him again.

That was the first time she had ever truly understood what this assignment meant for her. By going home when this was finished, she would be permanently cut off from this ancient past, this beautiful land with its colorful people. It would be a past that would exist forever set in stone and time. The future would depend entirely on what she did here, and if she went through with this, she was effectively killing him: where in the corrupted timeline Caius had been an immortal, although an angry one, in the proper timeline he would die centuries before she was even _born_.

Her throat constricted further.

Who else would disappear? Noel, since his future never existed? Mog, because she hadn't been there to rescue him, or would that distortion never have existed, either? Millions of people whose futures and pasts would be rewritten or ended prematurely by the resetting of the timeline?

She chewed her bottom lip in thought and felt something pricking her eyes. The whole future rested on her ability to reset the timeline. Caius had to live to protect the whole world and eventually die of natural causes, not be forced to live again by the hand of a careless creature. The only reason she cared whether he lived or died was because he was the crux of the timeline and a friend.

She had to keep telling herself that. She dare not think of what might happen if she didn't.

She managed to get control of her emotions before walking up beside her companion. He just barely turned his head to acknowledge her presence. "You're late."

She sighed. "I know."

Caius looked up at the sky a moment before meeting her eyes. "Yeul said we must travel into a valley," he said. "It was formed by an earthquake many years ago and is a haven for small monsters. It will be down there. It's not far."

She nodded. "Lead."

He started to do so, but then he hesitated. "Others have gone after the monster already," he said.

"What?"

"Others. Warriors and l'Cie alike. None have returned. As a Guardian, I am to have more power than them, but–" He cut himself off and gave her a quick sidelong look. "Perhaps we will encounter a fal'Cie along the way. There are dozens in this area alone, and rumor is there are millions across the face of Gran Pulse. We're sure to run into at least one."

As they headed out, Lightning thought of Cocoon again. Millions of fal'Cie operated everything there, from doors to the growth of vegetation to tides to migration patterns. Such micromanagement had guaranteed a lush world to live in, but also no need to fend for themselves. It'd been paradise in a gilded cage. While part of her missed it in a way – nothing quite compared to the beautiful silver trees of the Gapra Whitewood or the colors of the Sunleth Waterscape – another part of her was glad to be away from it. Mankind could carve its own path now instead of being sacrificial lambs to a cruel end.

A few minutes of silence passed before she spoke again. "Maybe they were goin' about it the wrong way."

"Meaning what?"

"How do Paddra's warriors go kill monsters? Charge in guns blazing?" As she spoke, she continued to think about this event. It seemed so familiar. Had her sister and Noel run into the monster already? She thought that was the case but couldn't remember what it was exactly. "Maybe that's not the way to approach it. Maybe trying to kill it straight up is the wrong idea."

"Perhaps," he said, "but it tends to work."

"And when it doesn't?"

He grunted. "When it doesn't, people tend to die."

There was silence again as they continued through the undergrowth toward the valley. In this day and age, it was almost inaccessible except for a place on the cliff along the pass where moss and rock formed a good climbing spot, which Caius scaled ahead of her. She envied his ability to move so quickly and silently, even when scaling the rock face, and she did her best to mimic his movements. He reached the top before she caught up; as she reached the peak and paused before hauling herself over, he extended a hand.

She looked at him. "There's–"

"Claire," he said.

She glared at him, but couldn't hold it, cracking a half-smile after a few moments. Reaching up, she took his hand; he pulled, and she scrambled up, slipping on the moss – it seemed some of it had dew present.

By climbing down the opposite side, they emerged in a crevasse that led down to a rocky valley that was far longer than it was wide. Cracks in the planetary crust revealed rich soil, reddish in the late afternoon light, while a waterfall rushed down a northern face of the valley.

Caius slowed. Lightning matched his pace, able to listen to their surroundings more carefully now. As she looked around, she discerned a noise beyond the rushing water– no, two noises: a mournful howling from far away and the sound of shifting rock and dirt around them, faintly. Unnerved, she stopped; Caius did as well and looked at her.

"What's that?" she whispered. "That… _howling_?"

Caius looked east. "Gorgyra," he murmured. "She wanders endlessly and cries for help while receiving none."

Lightning flinched. "And the earth sifting?"

He looked around. For the first time Lightning saw the earth moving. There was rock jutting above the valley, climbing hills into the distance. Vegetation swayed slightly with the movements of the earth. All the birds, once happily chirping around them, immediately shut up. "Ah. That is Yormin, responsible for these mountains. It is he who causes the quakes that shape these hills."

Lightning glanced warily at the fal'Cie as he continued to writhe beneath the dirt. "Uh… is he normally this active?"

"At times. Let's go."

Lightning noted Caius's voice was quieter now, and he glanced sideways at Yormin with a slight frown. Instead of speaking on his thoughts, however, he kept going. She followed a few steps behind him, trying to keep from looking at great fal'Cie twisting in the earth so near her feet, fighting the urge to move away. Some of these creatures were benevolent, some malevolent, and some utterly neutral. Some were intelligent, some brilliant, and others – like Atomos – near-mindless workers performing their tasks as they had for millennia. None cared for the presence of humans either way, it seemed.

A shadow passed over them; her hand floated back to hover by her blade and she stopped to assume her battle pose.

"Don't be alarmed," Caius told her. "It's Dahaka, the Sky-Wanderer."

Lightning looked up to see the eel-like fal'Cie flying from horizon to horizon. He had passed between them and the setting sun and now climbed into the sky without a thought to the beings below him. "He's always wandering." She remembered standing with her group to see the beast ghosting through the canyons of the Yashas Massif, going to roost in Taejin's Tower. "Wonder why."

"Legend says he seeks a door in the sky," her companion said. "For centuries he's wandered in search of it and does so every day. But who knows."

Seeing him fly over reminded her of when she and the others had climbed to the top of the tower and faced the beast in honest battle. Would things ever be like that again? When she went home, would she be able to explore with her family and friends and show them the land she knew now? Or would too much have changed? Heart growing heavy at the thought, she kept going.

A bunch of vegetation made of flowering tendrils quivered off to her left, then waved about. Caius halted and backed up a step; Lightning did the same. It wasn't far enough, though, as the vegetation suddenly sprouted more tendrils and reached for the two of them.

Lightning hacked off a couple of them as they came for her, ducking to avoid the others. They were much more determined to snag Caius than her, however, and within seconds had him lashed down tight. At the same time, the beast rose out of the earth with a thunderous _crack_ of stone, clawed fins and armored head dropping rocks and soil as it swayed above her. Lightning, dumbfounded, stared slack-jawed as the beast lifted her companion toward its head. A great emerald eye-slit opened in the armor, examining him. Caius didn't seem all that concerned, although he looked uncomfortable.

Lightning snapped out of her trance. "_Caius_!" she shouted.

The beast turned him over, then gave a great resounding _purr_ like a titanic kitten. She was suddenly blinded by a bright white light and sent stumbling back. A second later all was quiet again; Lightning blinked away spots in her eyes and sat up.

Shaking her head, she tried to climb to her feet. More rocks and dirt fell as Yormin bent his head down toward the ground again. The tendrils curled and retracted into its back. Caius was gone, the tendrils once holding him now empty and retracting with the others. It took longer than it should have to realize what this meant; Lightning yelped in dismay and stumbled in her hurry to run up to the fal'Cie, stupid as it was. She managed to land against its thickly armored side, vision still spotty.

"_Hey_!" She rapped her knuckles on its side. "Take him for branding? He's a _Guardian_, don't for–"

Yormin purred again, louder now. With elegance and grace belying its immense bulk, the fal'Cie dove into the ground again and burrowed down. Rocks shifted and jutted into the air. Within seconds, it was buried beneath her feet again, out of sight. Lightning groaned and leaned on the earth kicked up by the beast, kicking a rock aside.

After a second, the birds began to chirp again.

Lightning counted the seconds at first, but quickly gave up on that in favor of sitting on the ground and waiting. The birds gradually quieted; frogs and crickets took up the song instead. Unfolding her sword, she dug the tip into the earth. Grass uprooted; the sweet scent of the soil wafted in the still air. The howl of the Cie'th echoed off the hills. She cringed.

Another howl, loud, feral, tore through the dusk. Everything went silent.

Lightning felt adrenaline surge through her veins as she looked in the direction of the cry. Another followed, closer than the first and fiercer. She swallowed.

As she waited, she began to think about when she and the others were branded. When they had been brought before Pulse, master fal'Cie of its eponymous planet, it had seemed to last a very brief while – seconds, maybe, no more than a minute at most. But how long had they been out afterward? How long had they been lying on the crystal playa of the lake before waking?

"Come on, Caius," she murmured. "Monster here. Monster _coming_, come _on_…"

A cricket chirped before going quiet again.

As she waited, the roars grew closer and she began to fidget in growing concern. The monster was closing, she knew, and it so unnerved her that she found it hard to sit still. Just as she was standing and assuming a battle stance, the roars ceased altogether. A minute or so later, the night creatures started their song again and things went back to normal. Lightning felt puzzled. _False alarm_?

The rustling of vegetation alerted her to something nearby. She turned, expecting some sort of monster, but instead she saw Yormin's tendrils sprouting from the earth. A moment later, a soft blue glow formed around them, creating the outline of a human shape as they lowered to the ground. The blue glow remained as the tendrils receded back into the earth, and all was quiet again.

The blue glow faded. Caius lay in its place on his stomach.

* * *

This was sheer stupidity. No doubt about it. Yet Serah found herself flying through the air to land on the broad back of a dragon – one that immediately attempted to toss them both off by spinning. Noel yelped and managed to grab an armored plate, reaching out to snag her wrist at the same time. Somehow they stayed on even as the dragon took a steep dive. The playa came up fast, and Serah felt her stomach trade places with her brain.

"This could be bad!" Noel cried. "Hold _oooooooooon_!"

The dragon twisted into a tight roll that almost dumped them off, but Noel kept her secure while also holding the armor plating. The instant they were level again, Noel pointed to the armor and Serah latched onto it. The moment she did, Noel released her and raised both swords. With a frightening war cry, he plunged them both into the beast's back. He squealed; the two swords stuck into the flesh where the muscles controlling the right wing were, destroying his control of it.

"Jumpoffjumpoffjumpoff!" Noel cried, panicking. Serah leapt, Noel right behind her, just as Bahamut crashed hard into the playa and somersaulted to a halt.

The two travelers scrambled to their feet and faced the dragon. A burst of purple mist transformed the Eidolon back into its master, sprawled on the playa on his side. As Serah and Noel braced themselves for the inevitable assault, he climbed to his feet, eyes ablaze with the crimson glow of chaos. Serah went pale; Noel gritted his teeth and sucked air through them.

"You cannot defeat me, not even now!" Caius roared, defiant to the end.

Serah swallowed. "Still trying!"

The three of them came together in a clash of blades. Caius braced against their attack even as they split up to fight from two angles instead of just one. He managed to fend them off. It became a dance, swords crashing and footsteps kicking up dust into the sunset sky. It was only when Noel caught the outrageously-shaped sword on his own that there was a hiccup in the rhythm.

Noel used his other blade as extra leverage. "What is _wrong_ with you, Caius? Think this'll make Yeul _happy_?!"

"I've known and protected _hundreds_! Which are you _talking_ about?"

Serah wasn't sure whether to join in or not. This seemed to be between the two men before her with their shared history rather than having much to do with her at all.

"A Yeul who dreamed of _travel_. One who loved to _sing_. One who collected _flowers_." Caius underlined the last word in each sentence with a swing of his sword, eventually forcing Noel to back away to save his own skin. "Every one of them was unique and all of them _died_ before my eyes!"

"You can't make her happy by _killing_ everyone!"

"_I want to save her_!"

"_Why_?" Noel snapped. "Because she's been dying and getting reborn for centuries, or because you can't bear to lose another significant female in your life?"

"I–" Caius faltered. The glassy look she'd seen so many times before came into his eyes. "I… searched for her. I did _everything_ I could. But she– she–" Then his voice cracked and the sword shivered in his grip. "I couldn't do it. I just _couldn't_. No matter what, I would just _outlive_ her, and I couldn't– I–"

"Stop taking your pain out on the _world_!"

Caius laughed at him – a sad, bitter laugh. "You don't understand what it means to live for fourteen hundred years, Noel. No matter how many people reach your heart, you must turn them away or risk not only your pain, but _theirs_! And my only companion is a girl who _dies_ and I can't _save_ her!"

Serah said, "You're lonely."

Caius turned on her and forced Noel to come between them and push him back. "No girl should have to die before she has truly lived only to return and be subject to the same fate! She will _never_ have to die again, _never_ have to see another vision, _never_ have to suffer in my arms as she breathes her last! I won't let her! _I won't do it_!" He seemed to be in tears, voice shaking, each swing more blind than the last.

"I _won't_ let you do _this_, either!" Noel tackled him with both swords, sending him flying, and forced him back, away from the crystal pillar. Serah jumped in. As they fought, she felt her heart sink: there was no way they could hold out. He was too close to his goal. It was less than a mile to the pillar from here and he wasn't going to give up, and worse, he would just recover from every deathblow they dealt, refreshed and ready.

They couldn't stop him.

Caius blasted them off their feet, irritated with how long this was taking and taking the short path instead. Serah went one way, Noel went the other, and the playa turned out to be a lot rougher than it'd looked at first, all rocks and weeds, very uncomfortable when she landed.

He didn't waste a second, soaring into the sky on armored wings.

"No." Serah struggled to sit up. "_No_!" she screamed, watching the Eidolon fly toward the crystal pillar.

Some distance away, Noel watched in stone-faced silence.

Serah couldn't tear her eyes away. It was like watching a horrible accident, wanting so badly to look away from the destruction yet driven by the insatiable desire to watch destruction to keep her eyes fastened on him. The glow of the beast's immensely powerful flare attack could be seen against the darkening sky.

Serah braced herself.

A shadow tore open within the open sky, sending a burst of energy coursing across the playa. Serah stared at it, at first wondering if it were the chaos gushing from Valhalla, but then it closed up and an Eidolon identical to the first came swooping toward the other. They collided in midair and plummeted toward the ground.

As Serah watched, a fierce pain ripped through her head as the landscape suddenly, briefly, changed before her eyes.

* * *

Lightning immediately forgot about the monster, hurrying to his side, dropping to one knee. "Caius?" She reached down and felt for a pulse beneath the curve of his jaw. It was a bit slow, but strong, against her fingers. "Caius, hey, you alright? _Caius_!" Carefully, she rolled him onto his back. Nothing changed: eyes closed, lips slightly parted in a slow and steady breath, not otherwise moving save for the rise and fall of his chest.

As Lightning gazed down at him, she felt her eyes being drawn to his face. His expression was one of utter peace, as if he had merely fallen asleep instead of being knocked into a coma. He had light bronze skin, she noticed, parts of it more deeply tanned than others with freckles on his nose and cheekbones. Nicks, cuts, and scratches decorated his skin in some spots, some faint, others only a few weeks old. There was sweat on his forehead, likely from the heat; she noticed that his headband stopped most of it from going into his eyes, directing it to trickle down the sides of his face instead.

She looked around, but neither heard nor saw anything that would indicate being in any sort of immediate danger, so she sat on the grass beside him. "Caius," she whispered. "Hey. Come _on_." She gently shook one shoulder, but he still didn't move. Snorting softly, she looked around, weapon at the ready but lying on the grass beside her. Again she gazed at him.

Her hand moved on its own, reaching out to touch his forehead. Then, gently, she brushed his hair aside.

For the first time, she saw the right side of his face, unhidden by his thick hair. It wasn't as deeply tanned and had fewer freckles, with a nick by the corner of his eye. Her hand lingered on his cheek, fingers still in his hair, not able to look away now. It was good he didn't know. It was good he would never understand what horrible things would happen if he didn't crystallize. He needed to live a normal life, beyond Paddra's collapse, beyond the army's march on the city, maybe have a family of his own, be with his people, and die peacefully rather than live in torment.

Just as she had to go back and live for the living.

Lightning's throat constricted. What did he mean to her? Was he a symbol of hope for the future, a representation of the past? Was he an image of her selfish side, symbolizing everything she'd locked away from her since her parents died? Or what? What was he? Why did she care about him?

"Caius," she murmured.

Who was she kidding? She'd gotten good at lying to herself, turning away his attempts at being kind to her in the early days, stifling her feelings. But she _had_ to. He was to be taken from her. Getting attached to him would be a mistake. But it was too late, wasn't it? She had pitied him in Valhalla, a little, and now she knew the man he'd once been and couldn't help but like him.

Her hand moved to his brow to absently stroke his hair.

It was then she heard the soft growl. She forced herself to look over her shoulder.

Standing on the rocks jutting out of the earth was a panther-like beast with a mane, long tail, large yellow eyes, and great shining fangs that it bared at her with an unnatural ferocity. Foam sparkled at the corners of its mouth; its claws dug into the rock. It was an ugallu, a creature she'd faced before with her party, but larger and more menacing than any she'd seen. The stink of death hung all about it. Shreds of meat hung from its jaws. A black mist could just be seen drifting off its spine.

Lightning's first instinct was to stay where she was, standing over Caius with a hand on her weapon. They stared at each other. How it had managed to approach without being heard was unknown, but it really didn't matter as its eyes were fixed on Caius's vulnerable form; Lightning would have none of that.

"Not him, _me_! _I_ can give you a fight!"

The ugallu crouched on its haunches and lowered its head at her. It tilted from side to side, staring at her from first one angle and then the other. The tail was up; the jaws parted, lips peeling back. The standoff continued; Lightning held her ground.

It twitched, and she whipped out her sword. The movement set it off; it roared, hissed, and pounced right at her. She held her ground, ducking to avoid that initial leap, and it soared over her to land at her back. She pivoted to face it and ran off to the left. _Come on, stupid, better wake up_!

The ugallu grunted and sniffed the air. It seemed briefly puzzled, looking carefully at her. Then it charged again, claws swiping the air. She smelled its disgusting breath and a wisp of the toxic glands that generated the natural neurotoxin; she got a headache immediately. Scrambling away, she took a swipe with her blade and managed to cut one paw, making it howl. That only angered it, however, and it knocked her away – not too hard, but she still landed far too roughly, the wind knocked out of her. It ignored her again and looked at Caius.

Lightning felt her heart stop. "No, no, no, no, _no you don't_!"

As she stood and pitched a stone at the creature, drawing its attention, she quickly noted her surroundings. Behind her was a crevasse leading into a dried-up gorge. Further to the right was another gorge that was much steeper, while there were plenty of open faults from Yormin.

If she could just get it to act stupid…

Still trying to catch her breath, she charged it, sword up and at the ready. The beast reacted by lashing out, but she avoided the swipe and slashed its foreleg. Blood seeped from the wound and stained the fur. She added more nicks and cuts, narrowly avoiding its claws, but it connected again and knocked her clean away, where she tumbled head over heels for a few seconds. The good news, though, was that she had its attention now.

Somehow she dragged herself back over to the shallow gorge. "Here kitty," she growled, bloodied sword in the air like a trophy. "Come on. Come on!"

The beast, bleeding all over now and looking _extremely_ angry, bellowed its irritated fury and charged right at her. At the last second, she ducked, avoiding its flying claws. It sailed right over her and went tumbling down into the lush vegetation at the bottom of the gorge, yelping the whole way. Before it hit the bottom, she was already scrambling over to the fallen l'Cie, seizing his shoulders when she reached him.

"_Caius_!" she shouted. "_I need you_!"

Just when she thought she was going to have to do this all on her own, his amethyst eyes flicked open


	18. Can't Catch a Break

_**Can't Catch a Break**_

Lightning had an instant to feel relieved before Caius sat up and she quickly dodged him. It seemed to be a struggle to get his feet under him as he clawed briefly at the ground, but he finally managed to stand, swaying a moment, but seemed no more unsettled than if he had simply fallen off a chocobo.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he demanded.

"There's–"

"Wait, I see it." They looked to see the ugallu clawing its way out of the canyon toward them. Behind them, the turf writhed as Yormin buried himself deeper into the soil. As the ugallu climbed up onto the turf, Lightning saw Caius tense up and grit his teeth.

She cocked an eyebrow. "You a l'Cie now?" she asked.

"I believe so, yes."

Lightning looked back at the ugallu. "Then you better use those powers, Caius."

He grunted softly; she looked back to see his face contorted in concentration. Before they could do anything else, the monster charged, forcing them to dive apart. It skidded and threw up moss and dirt, tail lashing, fangs dripping with saliva. Lightning wrinkled her nose at the scent of decay and filth wafting off the creature. It bounded at them once more, and this time Lightning dodged its swipe – narrowly, as one claw raked across her left shoulder. It left only a scratch, but she still felt her heart suddenly pounding with adrenaline.

With two humans to go after, the creature briefly paused with apparent indecision. Its head slung back and forth.

"Caius!" she snapped.

That seemed to be the trigger: the ugallu roared and ran at her. She turned and struggled to get out of its way, but it landed right in front of her, throwing a sudden flurry of punches. In a panic, she brought her sword up and one paw hooked on it, claws locking on the blade. The creature hissed at her; Lightning yelped, ducked, and dove to the side. Claws gouged the earth; she scrambled to get out of the way again. It was then that she miscalculated a step and felt the beast slap her to the side, right in the ribs, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying.

She heard Caius's familiar voice calling out to her, dimly, as she lay on her side on the grass with her back against a large rock.

Wheezing, she managed to roll onto her stomach and push herself up to hands and knees.

The beast bounded toward her with Caius skidding to a halt from a dead spring behind it. Just before it reached her, he snapped his arm out, palm out, fingers splayed. In the space of two heartbeats, a bluish glow could be seen on his chest, spreading down his arm, then lancing out from his palm. An instant later, a pearl of energy struck the beast on the shoulder, exploding on impact, forcing it to stumble. Lightning scrambled to get up, though her aching chest prevented her from moving too quickly. As she struggled, Caius threw out another burst of energy, larger than the first, to knock the beast clean over.

Clutching her chest with one hand and unfolding her blade with the other, she hurried to his side. "They don't like the cold. Got any ice?"

Caius spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm _trying_, be _patient_!"

She grunted. "Yeah, sure."

The ugallu clambered to its paws again and roared at them. When it charged, she readied her sword, but the sudden movement sent pain through her chest. An involuntary cry escaped her. Caius immediately faced her and caught her arm. Ahead, the beast climbed to all four paws with some difficulty.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She started to offer a sharp retort, but then she looked into his eyes. Genuinely concerned, definitely, lips pressed in a grim line. "I'm fine," she assured him, "really."

He looked at her a second longer before facing the monster. His right arm flicked out, spear grasped in that hand, unfolding to its full length. He managed to get it up in the proper position just as the ugallu sprang, forcing it to impale its shoulder on the spear. Lightning ducked and slashed its side. The enraged beast turned on them, lashing out with speed that belied its size.

Then, suddenly, it caught her by surprise and knocked her onto the ground with a rear paw. With its right forepaw, it raked its claws across Caius's back and shoulder, sending him tumbling away with the blow. Its claws came back bloodied, cloth dangling from them, and it roared its fury.

When it sprang at him, Lightning snapped.

It had been a real long time since she'd been able to get out a good war cry. Her breathing improving fast, knee not giving out, she moved fast, earning her nickname, unleashing a fierce battle cry that rang off the rocks. It had the desired effect of briefly startling the beast, giving her enough time to gouge her blade into its ribs as payback. When it slung to face her, she slashed its face, barely missing an eye, and leapt sideways to avoid a swipe. It swiped once more, missed, and roared. Caius managed to stand, looking pained, clothes shredded across his back and blood now staining them.

That shoulder weakened by Caius's blows, the ugallu limped slightly, left forepaw tenderly touching the ground every other step. Blood stained its fur.

Caius rained down a series of pearls of light on the ugallu's hindquarters, and it bucked in pain. In midair, it whirled and knocked him away. He landed hard on the open ground, rolling with it to stand, wounds on his back now dusted with bits of vegetation stuck to the bloodied flesh. Lightning winced. She knew it hurt. It _had_ to hurt, or at least sting really badly. She had a second to ponder this before being forced to retreat from the monster's brutal claws and ugly breath as it roared at her face.

It got too close. She stabbed its nose; it cried out in pain.

Caius threw out more pearls of light and one huge one that exploded on impact. The concussive wave blew her off her feet, but also made the ugallu roll comically onto its back in a divot. For a moment it was stuck like a turtle with its paws clawing the air. When she tried to charge in and stab it, though, it roared and forced her back. A second later, it rolled and charged. A deep breath, a second of hesitation, and then a greenish mist blew over her, carrying with it a horrific stench. Lightning immediately exhaled, then held her breath and bolted. It waited until the poison was expelled completely before coming after her.

"Here!" Caius pointed at a cleft in the rock ahead – a haven for a moment, she guessed – and charged into it. She followed. It was a tight fit, the two of them forced to squeeze in shoulder-to-shoulder, but they managed to climb up higher and out of the beast's way. It scratched at the rock face; Caius backed up.

"Well, this is fun," she muttered.

"I need to get the drop on it." Beads and feathers flew about with his hair as he seemed unable to sit still, darting to the edge of the bluff to look down. The ugallu roared and scratched some more, but for the moment couldn't find a good hold. "If I can do that, I can cripple it."

"Maybe you can't take it head on," she said. "Maybe we should be more… well, 'creative'."

The way his hair flew around was briefly mesmerizing to watch as he whipped around to face her. "Explain."

"I'm faster. I'll run it across the valley and–"

"_No_. Too dangerous. I can–"

"Caius, I'm small and fast, I can do it. It can't reach me fast, alright? And while it's all hot 'n bothered tryin' to get me, _you_ kill it dead or cripple it if you can."

"Remember the faeryl, Claire!"

"_I do_."

He looked down at the ugallu. "I don't like this."

"I'll be fine. More worried about you and your back."

"It'll hold."

She chewed her lip. "Fine, hardhead. Let's kill this thing and go home."

"Claire, I–"

She yanked him back as the ugallu took a swipe – missing, but it'd been close. "Just be ready when I get down there and don't argue."

"I'm not arguing," he insisted with a scowl, "I'm demonstrating common _sense_!"

"Caius, you're arguing with me!"

"So what if I am?"

Lightning squeezed his forearm. He winced. "Listen, knothead, either do as I ask or we can die spectacularly. I'm _so_ trusting you it's not even _funny_. Now _watch my back_! Don't back down on me, you!"

"This isn't–"

"Caius, I _need_ you. Please." Her hand moved down his forearm to grasp his fingers and squeeze them. "Help me."

He faltered, looking distressed. A sigh escaped him; he nodded.

"Good." She tried to pull back. He held on. "Cai–"

He pulled her closer. "Be careful."

"I'm always c–"

"Please," he interrupted, looking her right in the eye.

Lightning stared back at him, sighed, and nodded, giving him a quick smirk. The grip on her hand tightened; she returned it. For just an instant, it seemed like everything was silent – like it was just the two of them. He had pretty eyes – expressive, too – and she couldn't help but take them in for a second. This was the man who was soon to be lost forever. In a few days he would be a crystal watching over his land and she would be back home enjoying life with her friends and family.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat and let go.

Caius took the initiative. With his left hand, he threw out shards of ice – each snap of his wrist sent out another blast of cold. One, two, three, four– and then the beast slid back and toppled over briefly. Lightning sprang off the rock to hit the ground running. She ran full-on at one of the gullies formed by geological activity. The ugallu scrambled to its feet and ran after her.

About a second before it reached her, she veered hard right. The creature skidded before catching its footing once more and bolting. Then it roared and keeled back. Lightning scrambled out of the way.

Caius let out the fiercest battle cry she'd heard out of him since leaving Valhalla, springing back with spear in hand, leaving a string of blood as he moved.

He'd pierced the creature's side. The ugallu wheezed now, stumbling a little, fury in its beady eyes. Whirling, it tried to slash out at him. Caius flipped his spear up; she saw a blaze of cold energy travel up its length, and as the tip connected, it blasted outward and sparkled in the dusk light. The ugallu roared, this time in pain, and opened its jaw to unleash a spray of greenish gas. Lightning tackled Caius to knock him away, more of a reaction than anything else, and they landed in a painful tangle of arm and legs.

As the ugallu ran for them, the two used their combined momentum to flip up onto their feet. Caius grunted sharply in pain, and she saw why: the streak of blood on the ground told her he'd landed right on one of the stones, back-first, puncturing the dusty scab that'd been forming there.

"We'll take care of you, I promise," she said.

"I'm _fine_." There it was – the sharp tongue and fierce voice of the Valhalla warrior. He stood firm, spear up, facing the monster as it barreled down on them. Lightning cocked an eyebrow, briefly impressed, then took a stance beside him as it leapt at them. At the last second, they dove apart, briefly confusing it. It was just long enough: Caius came at it from one side while Lightning pounced at it from the other. Two blades punctured its sides, further opening the gouge on one side and tearing a new one on the other.

"_Yes_!" she cried. "Got it!"

Then the ugallu decided it'd had enough and kicked Caius away. He landed hard; she heard him yelp as he hit the ground back-first.

This made Lightning absolutely _furious_. "No you _don't_!" Unleashing one of her Valhalla war cries, she pounced and landed blade-first on the monster's side. It sunk in up to the hilt; she felt it gouge something and pulled it down, ripping a bloody hole in the ugallu's side before it bucked and threw her off. She landed, rolled, and in the instant of disorientation that followed she lashed out blindly and felt the sword collide with something.

Immediately she followed up with a hacking motion, gouged an eye, slashed the other, twisted, sidestepped, and cut its throat.

She lingered long enough to make sure it was busy flopping about, bleeding all over before she abandoned it and raced to her companion's side. Caius was trying to stand, on his knees with his hands on them, but as he stood, he swayed, and she caught his arm to steady him.

"I'm fine, I'm _fine_!" he snapped, and twisted out of her grip.

Lightning didn't like the feeling his rejection gave her. It was a sort of… empty feeling, gouged into her heart, that made her feel suddenly angry – and hurt. Why, though? He was just in his usual prissy mood, like in Valhalla, and wanted nothing to do with her. So what? It didn't matter to her. At all.

Caius moved over to the ugallu. "Not dead."

Lightning shook away her hurt, jogging up to his side. "Got this one?"

"Yes," Caius muttered. The beast struggled to get up. He raised his spear and punched it down approximately where the heart was located. The monster stilled.

It was only then that he stepped back and collapsed to his knees on the ground.

Dusk had fallen completely over the valley now. The stench of blood hung thick in the air. Lightning backed up and sat beside him. An expression of pain darkened his handsome face; he said nothing, twirling his spear in one hand.

Lightning looked carefully at him. "We need to get those wounds washed out."

He snorted. "When we get back."

"No, _now_." Lightning grabbed his arm; he yanked out of her grip, but she snagged it again, dragging him up to his feet and across the valley. Though he fussed the entire way, she completely ignored him until they reached the waterfall, noting that even though he verbally protested, he didn't otherwise attempt to get away. She tugged him to the water. "Same thing you did with me." She tapped her shoulder, reminding him of the raptors in the Steppe that had scratched her. "Rinse 'em out."

He glared at her. "No."

"_Now_."

He glared at her a moment longer, but she folded her arms, refusing to give in. With a sigh, he turned his back to her and stepped into the water. Lightning studied his ripped clothing and wounds.

"Rinse with that shirt off, then rinse the shirt. Keep clean."

Pause. "It's all–"

"_Take your shirt off, _Caius."

He said nothing, but complied, pressing his back to the waterfall to let it cascade down. She watched the water run down his back stained blood-red and winced. The smell of fresh blood wafted in the air; he soaked the shirt and wrung it out, over and over, until the water ran clear again.

"How's it feel?" she asked.

"Not bad." She heard the sound of water hitting the rocks and then the rustle of cloth. At last, he managed to get his arms up and pull the shirt back down with some stiffness.

"Good." She rubbed her chin. "Can't catch a break, huh? First Miyoki beats you within an inch of your life, then the ugallu rips your back up." She smirked. "Maybe all this is happening for a _really_ good reason."

He hesitated, then said, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

He tilted his head, looked her in the eye. "You are concerned for my well-being."

"Uh–"_ Not at all. I just need you to live. I'm not concerned, you just need to live. Not that you need to know that. I mean, it's not important_… "–yeah." _Fail_.

"I see."

"It's not what you think." Lightning let the silence that followed simmer for a few moments and looked around at everything in the valley but him. "Really. I'm– I worry about the people I care– _my friends_, you know, I care and I worry about my friends and that's how I am. That's how I've always–"

"Claire," he said softly.

"Right." Her fingers fidgeted a little. "I ramble sometimes for no reason. Usually when I'm mad."

"Are you angry now?"

Was she? Her heart seemed a little tumultuous. She was still hurt from his rejection, wasn't she? But there was no reason to be. He was just being himself. Was she angry? Frustrated? "Maybe a little," she said after a moment. "It really doesn't matter." Turning her back to him, she folded her arms. As Caius fidgeted behind her, picking up his spear and collapsing it, she looked up at the sky. Her lips parted. "Look at that."

Caius was quiet a moment. "Indeed."

The sky over the valley was getting very dark, and now the stars were visible in the firmament. Each minute that passed made them grow even brighter. Practically hypnotized by their glimmer, she stared at them. In Cocoon, night brought the sheen of city lights in the sky rather than stars. She had seen a couple of Pulse nights by now and could remember seeing them after fighting the faeryl, but they never ceased to amaze her. How many other planets like this one were there out there? Gazing up made her feel very small indeed.

"They're beautiful," he said. There was a smile in his voice.

"Yeah." Lightning looked down from the heavens. "Hey, Caius… there's things _glowing_ around us."

To her surprise, Caius chuckled. "There are quite a few plants with bioluminescence. Starblossoms are one of them, like those to your right."

Lightning looked to her right. A large bunch of green flowers with voluminous yellow centers bobbed and floated on the faint evening breeze. Fascinated, she moved closer. They were actually quite bright and cheerful. She couldn't help but grin as she touched their spongy petals. They smelled wonderful. Stunned by their beauty, she crouched in front of them.

"They are sometimes worn by the huntresses during the end-of-season festival."

Lightning glanced at him. She'd never worn anything in her hair before, even as a little girl. How would _she_ look with flowers in her hair?

"Speaking of which, let's get back." Lightning straightened and looked up the hill in the direction they had come from. "You need to get those scars taken care of and I need to be looked at, too. Come on. Let's get going now while we have the chance, before something else tries to kill us."

"Wait a moment." He returned to the ugallu and pried apart its jaws. A second later, she heard a _crack_, followed by a _crunch-pop_. He returned with something in his palm – two bloody teeth, wrenched from the creature's jaws, that he washed off at the waterfall. "A souvenir, and proof."

Lightning nodded and took one. "Nice."

Once the teeth were pocketed, they retraced their path. It was a little slow going, as both of them were stiff from the fighting and bleeding, or had been recently. Caius's gait was very stiff, breathing slightly labored. Lightning didn't fare much better. Though she'd more or less recovered, her chest still hurt from being struck by a massive paw and her knee was aching slightly. Before they made it to the pass, Lightning had to stop. Caius did as well, and they sat down a few feet apart on the grass.

Things were dead silent for a long time. She listened as Gorgyra howled mournfully and frogs sang a sweet chorus to her left. Night birds twittered in the trees. Close by, what sounded like a bullfrog joined the noise with its baritone song. Admittedly, Gran Pulse was a _lot_ noisier than she thought it would be, and a bit noisier than she remembered it being the first time she came here. Pulling her knees close to her chest, she picked absently at a patch of moss next to her hip. A sidelong glance saw Caius looking at the sky, starlit outline perfectly still. She looked at the ground.

"Hey," she began, "Caius–" Pause. What was she trying to say?

"What?" he muttered.

Well, that made her feel _so_ much better. "What is your _problem_? You don't need to be so short-tempered."

"I'm in a _lot_ of pain," he said. "I am sorry if I hurt you."

"You didn't h–" _Liar, liar, liar_. "No, it's– it's fine. I'm just worried about you, and there're lots of things on my mind. It's not all you. It's everything. It's–" She groaned in frustration; Caius shushed her. "Sorry."

"I _did_ hurt you, didn't I?"

"Caius, stop it, come on," she demanded, but her voice was soft. "It's okay, I forgive you. No big deal."

She heard him shift his weight. "Will you join us in the festival?"

She shrugged. "Never been a celebratory person."

"You will like it."

"Never been much for hanging around people or celebrating, and that's how it is," she said with another shrug. "I'm just too cynical. Well, not as much as I used to be. There was this time when it was my sister's birthday and my mom put together this big, stupid party. I hated it, naturally, wanted it to all disappear at first. Then I got to liking it and thought, hey, maybe I should do this myself someday. Asked Mom if I could have it for my sixteenth, since it's supposed to be a big deal." The end of her sentence cracked. "I, uh… that never happened."

"Why is that?"

"My mom got sick and died when I was fifteen. Got stuck raisin' my sister alone." She snorted. "Probably why I didn't like her fiancé, didn't like anyone takin' over my job."

"His job would be to take care of her."

"I know that _now_."

Pause. "And you have no one, like you said. I suppose you're happy that way."

"Yeah. It helps me focus. Got promoted and was on my way to becoming one of the best. But you know how guys can be, and they hit on me and even asked me out. Turned them _all_ down. I'm not too keen on letting anyone inside these steel walls. But I'm okay with that."

"Someday, some poor fool will break down those walls and you won't be able to get rid of him."

Lightning glanced at him. "Some poor fool."

"Only a poor fool would be so reckless as to risk life and limb in hopes of earning your hand, I think."

She chuckled. "Who's saying _I_ won't be the fool?"

He shifted his weight again, one hand alighting atop hers. His warmth spread into her. She suddenly grew aware of how very much alone they were, out in the wilderness of Pulse, under the stars with the serenade of the frogs and the night creatures all around them, the scent of flowers just heavy enough to breathe in on the breeze. Would it be a foolish thing to rest her head on his shoulder and let him through her walls? Would it be stupid to let herself go and let a man into her life? What was wrong with it?

"You could never be a fool," he said.

Lightning felt cold all over. It wouldn't be just foolish or stupid, it would be the definition of _insanity_. Caius was to be crystallized centuries in her past while she went home to a world where he was long dead. Letting herself get attached to a man destined to be separated from her was completely mad. Nevertheless, she let his hand stay on hers, warm and content. He was just a friend. If she and Snow had spent enough time together, the same thing would have happened between them. These fleeting _platonic_ looks and touches, these _platonic_ moments they shared, these _platonic_ smiles and teasing words. Caius was _just_ a friend.

"Uh, hey," she said, wriggling uncomfortably, "we should… we really need to keep going. There's nothing more to do out here."

Caius nodded and stood. She took the hand he offered so he could help her to her feet again. Together, they walked up along the path, heading back toward the pass. Things were quiet again; Lightning felt like she'd been punched in the gut and wondered why. _Deny, deny, deny_. It was probably from getting beat around by the ugallu. They'd both be alright shortly.

As she walked, she noticed a bundle of bioluminescent red flowers dangling from the cliff face. Fascinated, she stopped and moved closer. "Caius, look at this," she said under her breath. The faint red glow illuminated a piece of bark that'd been tied under the flowers. The Guardian came up beside her, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her, and together they examined the bark.

Caius huffed quietly. "This is hardly the least of our worries."

Lightning touched the bark. There were words scratched into it, reading, _we are coming_.

"Each flower has a different meaning in our culture," he explained. "In times past, because of the seer's great power, he or she has often been threatened. It seems the army is indeed coming for her. Red flowers represent blood. They do not expect to come quietly."

"Why would anyone want to kill her, or kidnap her?"

"Some believe that Etro is a great evil that has long cursed humanity," he said quietly. "Others simply want to harness the power to see the future for their own ends. Whichever the case may be…" He paused to touch the bark again. "This is Tesrai's calligraphy. _They_ will come for her."

She glanced at him. If only he knew that one day he would curse Etro's name and endlessly seek her demise out of hatred, grief, and anger, but only if she failed her mission. What would he think of that knowledge? How would he react to knowing the truth?

"Let's go, Caius," she said. "We need to see the physician, then speak to Yeul."

* * *

_Yes, the title is from one of my favorite songs from Final Fantasy XIII. Also, "Yormin" is short for "Jormungandr" of Norse mythology. Yes, it is actually pronounced that way. Well, depending on where you put the emphasis, the "i" might be pronounced differently... anyway. Hope you liked this one. We're getting quite close to being done now - only five more chapters!_


	19. The Sky King

_**The Sky King**_

The hospital was peaceful this late at night – nearly midnight, if the quiet was any indication. Lightning sat patiently as the physician examined her behind a curtain separating her and Caius. "You're fine," he said at last. "Some minor bruising, a couple of claw wounds, but nothing too bad. Should be fine in a couple days." He patted the gauze he'd put in place on her shoulder and instructed her to put her shirt back on. As she did, he went into the other room and talked quietly to Caius and the nurse in there.

Lightning made sure she was modest before saying, "Mind if I come in?"

"Oh, sure," the physician said.

She lifted the curtain and entered as the nurse left. Caius sat with his back to her. The expanse of it was secured in gauze, taped to his skin. Lightning winced.

"He'll be fine," said the physician. "Just don't let him stress himself."

Caius snorted. "Don't hold your breath."

The physician patted his shoulder, then told the two they could stay the night if they wanted. Lightning declined, as did Caius. The physician then left them alone.

Lightning sat on the cot, a foot or two away from Caius. "Where's your brand?" she asked.

He lifted his shirt. Directly over his heart was a Pulse brand in its earliest stage. As she scrutinized it, he said, "How do you feel?"

"Been better," she admitted.

He held the shirt up a little longer before dropping it and leaning back on both hands. "The same here," he sighed. "I wish this had not happened so close to the army coming, but it is what it is. Now the only thing is getting through the festival. The army will come at the very end of it."

"Kind of sad."

"And unfortunate. Yet there is no better time to attack – take advantage of a nation at rest. We should enjoy what time we have and make the best of it."

Was she that transparent? It seemed he spoke to her heart, saying things she didn't want to hear but knew had to be faced head-on. Did he know that the thought of him turning to crystal bothered her, or did he speak on a whim, or was he only talking about the festival? Did he know Paddra was doomed to bow to civil war within a few years and crumble the once-great nation?

Lightning rubbed her neck, suddenly shy. "I'm worried," she admitted softly. "_All_ this worries me. What if I can't help? What if this army turns out to be more than we can all handle?"

She felt him gently push her bangs back, away from her eyes, and looked at him. That hand lingered on her hair. It was a strange – and wonderful – feeling. "I wouldn't worry," he said. "We are stronger than many believe and can win even against their might. They can throw all they have at us and still we would not fall."

Lightning took his hand in hers, lowered both to the cot, and held it tight.

This went on for a few moments before he said, "There's something wrong."

A hospital wasn't the best place for this, not even this one with its wooden walls and pine scent wafting from the support beams. Yet the fact that they were alone made it very hard not to let herself go. Her free hand went down to her knee and patted it, bringing back the memory of its injuries – first Caius blasting it out, then the faeryl blowing it again. With that came the memory of him helping her back to the city as she grudgingly leaned on him for support.

"Are you okay with crystallizing?"

"If I do."

_Wait, what_? "What do you mean, 'if you do'? You're completing your Focus whether you like it or not."

"If the army is too powerful, I must become one with my Eidolon."

Lightning's blood ran cold. "Caius, it would kill you. Do you get that? _Kill you dead_."

"I am a Guardian. For the sake of my home, I _must_ consider every option." He frowned. "Every time a Guardian has done this, both die after a short time. I understand it would do the same to me, but I am willing to sacrifice my life if I must."

"_No_, Caius," she insisted. "No. There's no room for sacrifice."

"Claire–"

"Don't think about it right now. For the festival, don't give it any more thought."

"But–" he started to protest, frown deepening. There seemed to be something in her tone, though, that told him the matter was set. Turning his hand over, he pressed his palm to hers, demonstrating the notable difference in size between them. She couldn't explain the feeling the touch of his skin gave her, or the cold, bitter emptiness in the pit of her stomach at the thought of everything she'd worked for turning to dust.

_No, don't do that. You're making this a lot harder. Stop it. Please_.

"Then the matter is settled, for now," he said, but didn't release her. Lightning felt shivers threatening to wrack her body as they nipped at the base of her spine. There was something wrong. Had the physician overlooked something? Was she sick? "If there's nothing more, we should go."

The last thing she wanted to do was go. "We should."

He looked her in the eye. "We need rest."

She found herself speechless. _I'm sick. I've got to be._ What sort of ailment made her like _this_? It had to be some kind of weird Pulsian flu. After all, she didn't have the antibodies of Pulse natives.

"You're trembling," he murmured. "What's wrong?"

_Oh, you know __**exactly**__ what's wrong with me, you smirking self-righteous_– "I'm fine, I'm… fine."

He seemed nervous himself, though his voice was firm. Lightning felt her breath go a little shorter and figured there was no other explanation, she _had_ to be sick. The tough, strong, independent warrior named "Lightning" did _not_ become weak-kneed in a man's presence.

Of course, her name here was _Claire_, and _Lightning_ was a woman who hadn't been born yet.

"Are you sure?"

She swallowed to regain control. "Absolutely."

"Then tell me," he said, "why concern yourself with me?"

Lightning was plenty strong and fast enough to bolt. This wasn't being forced on her. Her lips trembled a little as she continued to gaze into his eyes, slowly losing herself in them, the world falling away beneath her feet. It was just the two of them, she realized, finally and truly wrapping her head around that fact. He, too, seemed to be lost and not looking to be found, his gaze soft and fingers now trembling slightly against hers.

"Feel?" She took a breath. "I–"

"You two staying after all?" the physician's voice called out.

Caius leaned back and stood, straightening his shirt. "No, we were just… discussing… some things and lost track of time." Was he embarrassed? Lightning could swear she saw that in his eyes and the touch of a blush on his cheeks. Relieved yet somehow full of disappointment – and even resentment toward the physician for ruining the moment – she jumped to her feet and stretched out the kinks.

"C'mon, let's go," she said, smiling at him, trying to get him to relax. He looked back at her and gave a quick smile that showed they were still alright.

Out in the cool night air, they looked around to see lights still on and candles burning inside paper lanterns of all colors. Children ran around in the darkness in herds while parents demanded they settle down. Someone shouted orders to a man across the plaza. A chocobo trilled excitedly while another scratched the ground. For being so quiet inside, things were pretty noisy out here.

"Hey, sorry about the– you know, 'awkward'," she said, chuckling nervously. "I'm good at it, I guess."

He smirked at her. "I instigated it."

"I let you."

He laughed. "Just don't let it ruin what we have."

Lightning wasn't used to feeling like a schoolgirl. There were butterflies in her stomach and she felt lightheaded, as if each step were taken in lower gravity.

"I will see you tomorrow," he said, and squeezed her shoulder.

Lightning hesitated as he turned and headed off across the city. "Hey, Caius," she called out.

He stopped and looked back at her.

She smiled. "Sleep well."

He returned the smile. "And yourself," he said, and continued on into the night.

It was only then that Lightning felt something trickling down her cheek and reached up to touch it. _No_. No tears, not now. This wasn't the time. It _wasn't_. Yet there they were, unmistakable, warmer than the air, throat going tight and chest clamped in a vise. She scoffed quietly and wiped them away with the back of one hand to keep her face dry. She _couldn't_ cry. This was her _job_. Caius was only a friend, and she had lost friends before, many times. How was this any different?

Lightning buried her face in her hands and let the tears fall a moment, grateful for the darkness to hide her. What was she _doing_? Caius was going to crystallize, nullifying this bond of theirs. No matter how she felt, she _had_ to let it go. Allowing it to grow and strengthen would bring only pain for them both.

"Claire!" a cheerful voice said.

And just like that, she clamped down on her emotions. "Anhui," she said. "Out late tonight?"

The girl was alone, making this the first time Lightning had seen her without her sister. "I'm just helping with the festival and such," she said. She blinked and cocked her head. "You've been crying."

Lightning bit her lip.

"Why've you been crying? Is something wrong?" Pause. "Is it Caius?"

Lightning cringed inwardly. "Anhui, it's none of your concern, really. Look, I need to go back home and sleep. I'm joining everyone for the festival."

The girl nodded slowly. "Just thought I'd ask," she said. "I'm gonna go help for a bit, then I've got to get some sleep too." Another pause. "Are you _sure_ it isn't about Caius?"

"Anhui, why–"

"You should stop trying to hide your feelings, _trying_ being the keyword. Maybe after the festival, once everything's settled down again, you can let your walls down and tell him how you feel."

_After the festival_. After the festival, there would be a war everything depended on, she'd be gone, Paddra would be headed for ruin, and eventually the War of Transgression would begin and irrevocably ravage the land. Caius would be a statue enslaved to the fal'Cie and Lightning would be in the future living a normal life. He would forever be the one thing she could never have.

"It's– it's not–" She turned on her heel, desperate to get home.

When she reached it, she slammed the front door, threw off her dirty clothes, stepped in the shower, and cried softly.

* * *

Sometime toward midday the next day, Lightning finally left her home. It had taken a lot to gather her strength, and she was still trying to come up with a reason why. Perhaps she _was_ sick, or hurt, or whatever. To acknowledge and understand the truth would be like an arrow in her heart. She was good at crushing her dreams and hopes. Mind over matter. She had to remember that. It was a good mantra, one she had to keep front and center at all times.

To her relief, she didn't come across Caius and discovered he'd left with a couple of hunters that morning, not being due back for a bit yet.

Lightning went straight to Yeul. The only one guarding the seeress's home was Nomin, his tall, willowy form at the entrance like a sentinel carved from stone. When she approached, he moved almost too quickly to catch, sidestepped to land in front of her, and blocked her with his staff.

"What're you here for?" he demanded.

Lightning wasn't sure she liked him. He never smiled and seemed constantly alert, a coiled spring with barbs that could strike at any second. His clear blue eyes were very pretty, though, and he had tanned skin with hints of a sunburn here and there. "Handsome" was certainly a word to describe him. A well-muscled body capped it off, even though he was quite slender apparently by nature

"I need to discuss something important with her that_ doesn't apply to you_," she growled. "Why're _you_ here?"

"Caius left me to guard," he said. "He's looking to have me as his apprentice."

She supposed Caius knew best. "Just let me in."

The man peered at her, then sidestepped again. Lightning eyed him, but passed without a word. It was only once she was inside that she paused. "Paddra Ballad-Nomin?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "Yes. Why?"

So, "Ballad" was _his_ family name. If Caius's family name was "Jenhi", how had he managed to take on this man's family's name? Was it something that only happened in the corrupted timeline, or was it a fixed point that would not change regardless of what happened? For all her time-gazing, that was one thing she hadn't come across. Well, in truth, there were _plenty_ of things she hadn't come across.

"Just asking," she said, and kept walking.

Inside the seeress antechamber, Lightning found Yeul just walking toward the entrance when she came in. The two paused and looked carefully at each other. The girl was wearing a silky green and white outfit that came down to her knees, tastefully done up with glass beads and a set of long, black-speckled feathers woven into her hair. Lightning thought it looked rather pretty on her.

"Claire," the girl said, surprised. "What brings you here?"

Lightning looked her up and down. "Better question: why're you all dolled up?"

Yeul smiled and smoothed her hands down her dress. "During the festival, I go out among the people and cast aside my duty as a seer for a while. Everyone sets aside their duties for a few days. Enjoy this while it lasts," she added, her smile a bit sad, "because the army comes at the end."

Lightning said nothing.

Yeul allowed her smile to fade. "What is it?"

"I don't want to hear about it." Lightning confined her fury to a corner of her heart. It raged beneath the surface and crept down into her arms, where her hands became fists. "Not. A _word_. These constant reminders of the end coming so soon, and how I will leave. No more. I just don't want to hear it."

"I warned you when you first came here."

Lightning stared at her. The fists tightened at her sides. "You _knew_ this was all going to happen." As the girl opened her mouth to respond, Lightning cut her off. "And you didn't _tell me_."

"Would you have believed me if I had?"

"That I would like this life and land and all these people? Maybe."

"Not that." Yeul sighed. "_That_ I told you in no uncertain terms. No, there is something else, something I alluded to because if I told you in full, it would break your spirit, strengthen your resolve, or be dismissed entirely. There are some things you _must_ find out for yourself."

"Like _what_?"

"You will find the greatest joy, and feel the deepest sorrow."

Lightning felt like she'd been punched in the gut, all her strength and fury suddenly sapped. The very day she had come here, this girl had told her those same words. Now she understood what they had meant. "No," she said, trying to keep her voice strong. "No, you can't– this isn't– this is _sick_."

"You will still accomplish your mission."

Lightning knew that without even thinking about it. "But… that's not–"

"Claire," she said, "go out with the people. Spend time with him. You will lose him, yes, but make the best of what little time you have left. Consider him a… terminally ill family member."

Lightning felt her throat constrict. "That's not fair."

"You will never forget him."

"That's not _fair_."

"No, it's _not_ fair," Yeul agreed, becoming very stern, "but that is how it is."

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep and trembling breath. "It's a small price to pay for saving the world, isn't it," she murmured.

"Yet it is so much different when it is _you_ who must sacrifice happiness."

This drove her off the edge at last. "That's the one thing I don't get to have, you know that?" she snarled. "Every time I get an _inkling_ of happiness, it gets taken away. Every time I find someone to _care_ about, they get taken away! _Every time_! Over and over, constantly, endlessly, without fail! My father was killed. My mother got sick and _died_. I loved my sister, and _she_ keeps getting taken from me! I can't keep a grip on _anything_! Cocoon falls and everything's fine and I get dragged away to Valhalla! Is it because I don't deserve it? Am I getting–"

Throughout her rant, Lightning felt a gnawing emptiness in the pit of her stomach that turned her cold all over. Soon she realized there were tears in her eyes, and the instant she stopped ranting, they spilled down her cheeks like little rivulets of rain. Shame filled her heart; she turned her back and did her best to wipe them all away.

"You're angry–"

"_Yes_!" she cried. She wanted to scream, tear something apart, run away, _anything_, wanting to distance herself, fight, _destroy_ everything in sight. It wasn't _fair_. He had been her _enemy_ for so long, then she'd let her guard down and accidentally let him _in_, that she couldn't understand it. _How_ had this happened? He was her _enemy_ first, _then_ her friend, and now– and _now_–

"I need to go, somewhere, anywhere, do _something_," she snapped, starting to walk out. "Gotta stay away from him, got to remember… gotta _forget_ this, all of– all–"

"Try to enjoy what little time is left."

"Why?" she demanded, whirling to face the other woman. "_Why_, Yeul? So it can hurt _worse_? You'd think I would be _used_ to the pain, but I'm– but I can't– I'm just– I don't _want_…"

"You don't want to lose him."

Lightning was finding it very hard to stand still. "I fought it the whole time I've been here. This isn't me, okay? It's _not_! The woman I am, she lets go of things and doesn't let herself get _attached_, keeps her walls up, overlooks the petty social stuff and focuses on the things that really matter. I have friends. I have _family_ to go back to. I _can't_– I just _can't_ want him!"

"_Tell me why you cannot_."

Lightning, startled by the other woman's suddenly firm and husky tone, stuttered into silence and stared at her.

"We are given so little time. Why not enjoy it?"

Lightning stared at her without comprehending for a minute. There was an answer, somewhere, she wasn't seeing at the moment. Reaching deep inside herself, forcing her petty anger aside, she felt around inside her heart. The answer was there; she dredged it up.

"Because," she said, in a solemn, quiet voice, "we will be separated forever, divided by time and space, with no way to cross the gulf, and if…" She swallowed and took a breath. "If… I let him keep going… if I let this go on, I'm not the only one who will get hurt."

Yeul's severe expression softened. "Then you _do_ understand."

Lightning, miserable, looked at the floor. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to go now." Without waiting for any acknowledgement, she slowly turned away and headed outside in her usual brisk pace. It wasn't the same, though, since her eyes were on the ground.

Following a path through the city, she came upon a small crowd of people. She forgot her tears, wiping them away before anyone asked awkward questions, joining the crowd. All around her, people muttered excitedly while apparently scrambling to get better views. More and more people joined the crowd; Lightning craned her neck over them in an attempt to see what was going on, but she was a bit too short. Backing out, she hurried up onto a basalt formation, finally getting a good view.

At the head of the crowd was a group of hunters, Caius among them. They spoke among themselves, gesturing wildly. Caius was the only one not constantly moving, but Lightning recognized the contained excitement in the lines of his body and the way he held himself. Suddenly the hunters hopped back, giving him plenty of space, while one of them – Yoteri – faced the crowd, patting his hands in the air.

"I know what you're all waiting for," he said. Lightning spotted a knowing lopsided grin on his face. "Give him lots of room just in case we get one that explodes."

Lightning cocked her head.

"What're they talking about?" someone said beneath her. "I don't get it."

"Caius is going to see which Eidolon he has," someone beside the first speaker said.

Lightning grew even more curious and moved to the edge of the formation. Caius brought a hand to his chest, over his brand, and pressed it flat across it. There was a look of concentration on his face. Nothing happened; Yoteri kept the crowd back while the hunters kept their distance. Lightning hadn't known Eidolons could be voluntarily called in that crucial first time instead of through despair, but she hadn't known much about Pulse Eidolons back then.

Then the glowing red outline of a Pulse brand could be seen, and Caius's face contorted into one of pain.

Lightning leaned forward, intrigued.

The man's expression morphed into one of satisfaction and pleasant surprise. As he drew his hand out, away from his chest, Lightning saw his Eidolith – a roughly spherical violet object with chaotic patterns shooting off in several directions – hovering in his hand as it melted out of his brand. The crowd muttered and took a few more steps back away from him, as did the hunters.

Caius smirked and threw the crystal straight up at the sky.

The familiar pink emblem of this Bahamut variant appeared in the sky, and through it crashed the form of Caius's Bahamut – a great, black beast with blue and purple accents, similar to Fang's but larger and more dangerous-looking. The sweep of the great wings tore dust and grass from the ground, churning it into the sky, before flapping hard and alighting on the grass at Caius's side in his gestalt form. The beast lifted its head and roared, sending the crowd backing up even further.

Lightning dropped down in front of the crowd for a better look.

"Bahamut." Caius spoke softly while extending a hand. It ducked its head like a pup, and when his hand reached its snout, it snorted and let him stroke its shining carapace like some giant pet. Lightning hid her smile at this.

Yoteri chuckled. "At least you didn't get something lame."

"Wow," a girl's voice said, "the Sky King himself!"

Lightning glanced down to see Anhui with her sister standing at the head of the crowd, more curious than afraid of this sight. She looked back at Caius and his Eidolon to see the Guardian moving to its side and quickly scaling it to perch atop its back. The beast lifted its head and spread its wings.

Yoteri snorted. "Have fun flying while we're stuck on the grass like losers," he said.

Caius scanned the crowd. It seemed he was looking for something.

"He's gotta fly, huh," Anhui muttered.

Lightning looked at her again. "The Eidolon needs a bonding period with its owner," she explained, bending down a little. "Caius needs to fly with Bahamut for a while to seal the creature's loyalty."

Lightning started to stand to watch Caius and his Eidolon take off when he called her name.

She froze. "Huh?"

Yoteri walked over to, grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her toward Bahamut. It took that long for her to realize that Caius was crouching with one hand extended and looking right at her. It took another minute for her to realize what he was calling to her about.

She stepped back. "I can't."

"It will be worth it."

_It's more than that. _"I can't, Caius. I'm sorry."

The look he gave her fired an arrow of guilt and pain through her heart. She could tell her rejection stung by the way he leaned back and didn't meet her eyes. As he nudged his mount and pounced into the sky, Lightning tried to kill the hurt. She was only trying to protect both their best interests. It was best not to get involved, no matter the cost.

But she wasn't quite sure it was worth hurting him.

The crowd dispersed, wandering off into the city. As she turned to follow, she saw the shadow of Eidolon and rider sweep over the city and looked up to see them disappearing toward the horizon. Guilt filled her from head to toe and it took all her self-control not to let it show, wanting to hang her head in shame.

"Why'd you do that?" Yoteri asked.

Lightning gritted her teeth, wishing he hadn't asked, wishing she could ignore him entirely. "Got my reasons."

"That really hurt, you know."

Without thinking, she turned on him. "You think I can't tell?"

Yoteri looked carefully at her. "He was only trying to give you a little time to chill out. You're so uptight all the time and you're never happy like you are with him. Can't you see that? Everyone else can. We can _all_ see it."

Lightning deflated. "Yoteri, I can't–"

"He cares about you," he said firmly, "and you care about him. It's obvious. Let it go."

Lightning wanted to scream. "I'm joining the festival, alright? I'll apologize then. For now, I just– I don't want to talk about it. Please. I just don't want to." _It hurts too much_.

Yoteri nodded and walked off.

As Lightning walked back into the city, she was intercepted by Yeul. The girl was accompanied by Nomin, who gave her a look but said nothing. "Ah, Claire," she greeted. "If you're to join the festival, you must wear something proper."

Lightning blinked. "What, can't wear these old duds?"

"Wear something a woman would wear."

"I do."

"Claire."

Lightning started to protest before looking the other woman up and down. "You mean like what you're wearing?"

"Indeed. You would look good in something made of–" She paused, then smiled. "–silk."

_Silk, huh_? "Silk's usually not cheap."

"There is an excellent tailor in the bizarre three shops down from the weaponsmith you got your sword from," she said. "He provides discounts during the festival and double for the hunters and warriors. You can find fresh silk of every conceivable color there. He made this for me and I'm sure he can make something beautiful for you." Her smile grew a bit sly. "And perhaps you could _feel_ beautiful."

Lightning had to admit, that was something she had never really felt like before. "I'll check it out."

"And quickly. The festival begins in earnest tonight."

The two women separated and Lightning immediately went to the bazaar. Never one to wear womanly clothing or accessories, she almost didn't want to go at all. Still, the prospect intrigued her, and silk was renowned for being not only beautiful, but wonderful to wear as it felt good on the skin. What would it hurt to kick the habit and dress like a lady for a couple of days? Uniforms and armor couldn't be _all_ she wore.

It took a few minutes as she walked past the tailor twice, but finally she located it and entered to find it peaceful with no other customers except two that walked out as she came in. The tailor was a tall, wiry man with an almost gangly appearance. There was another man, apparently his assistant, beside him and a woman working in a back room, bent over a table. There were more colors of cloth hanging on the walls than Lightning could count on both her fingers and toes; she was immediately overwhelmed.

"Ah, hello," the tailor said, smiling at her. The other man looked up, smiled, then returned to his work. The woman didn't look up. "What can I do for you?"

Lightning reached into her pack to find the card that identified her as a hunter for Paddra. "Yeul told me you made her outfit. I need something like it."

The tailor took her card and looked it over. "Just plain 'Claire', huh? Okay." He handed it back. "What're you in the mood for? I've got more colors than a pile of overripe fruit. What do you have in mind?"

"Honestly…" She felt sheepish. "Not a clue."

The tailor immediately brightened. "A challenge. I like it." He quickly sized her up. "Hmm… pink hair, a bit tanned, blue eyes…" He mumbled some more while jotting something down. "You've got pretty eyes and that hair is a very nice shade. Those need to be emphasized m– _oh_!" He snapped his fingers. "I got it, I got it."

Lightning cocked her head. "What?"

"Something," he said with a reassuring but definitely mischievous smile, "with some blue."

* * *

_I've been meaning to say "thank you" to all my followers and reviewers and favorite-ers. Y'all have really helped make this story a success. Thanks so much!_


	20. End of the Season

_**End of the Season**_

"I don't know about this. Doesn't feel right."

"Then you're obviously not used to wearing something so lovely." The seamstress spoke around the pins clamped in her teeth, face contorted into an expression of complete concentration. The whole time Lightning had been fitted into her new outfit, the seamstress, Kaya, had been somewhat short-tempered. Now she worked with quick, skilled hands, tucking and pinning and quickly basting when needed. Lightning stood with the floor-length mirror at her back and a curtained window to her left. Outside, the sunset faded fast. The sounds of the festival wafted in on the breeze and made her quite antsy. "Hold still, woman," Kaya insisted, "or this'll take a lot longer than it needs to!"

Lightning fidgeted again. "I'm just… eager to see it, I guess."

"It looks lovely, now stop fussing!"

Finally, the woman forced herself to stand still. The outfit _was_ lovely, with warm blue accents and varying shades of brown and gray, but hard to see from this angle. There was a fringe, a cinch at the hip to accent her (admittedly rather unremarkable) curves, but she couldn't see much else without looking in the mirror. Kaya had already told her she needed at least one accessory and insisted on picking it out herself. Lightning, ignorant of fashion, acquiesced.

"Hem's a little long…" Kaya muttered.

Lightning sighed. "Anytime this century would be great."

"We put this thing together in four hours. Got that?" She paused and looked up. "That's not the fastest we've done it, I admit, but it's still pretty fast, though for such a simple design, not all that remarkable, I guess. Now, hold still a bit longer and I promise I'll be done."

Lightning tugged at the top of the outfit – or, rather, dress. The thing had felt _wonderful_ when it was slipped over her head, all airy and soft. Unused to wearing such distinctly feminine clothing, she'd been dumbstruck. Did she deserve to wear such elegance?

"There!" The seamstress bobbed her head and stepped back. "Ah, it's better than I'd hoped, take a look!"

Lightning turned around.

The dress was just short of floor-length over her left leg and came down to her knee over her right. Made of a single sheet of silk dyed multiple colors over a gray base, it had been skillfully wrapped, cinched, and fitted to conform to her curves while still being modest. It was also off the left shoulder, extending to her wrist on her right arm. Seeing it, Lightning was speechless. Who _was_ that woman? Who was that wearing a _dress_? _That_ wasn't Lightning. _She_ didn't dress like this. _She_ was practical. This was the most _im_practical and beautiful thing she'd ever worn before in her _life_.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Kaya said, smiling at her. "In your hunter clothes, you're pretty, and now you're beautiful. The poor fools at the festival will _flip_."

Lightning continued to stare. "Wow."

"Now." Kaya looked serious again. "If you really want to look good, smile."

Lightning glared.

"No, no, no, _smile_. I've seen you smile and it's pretty. Seen you _grin_ and it's lovely. Come on."

Lightning pried her mind off her purpose and slowly got her lips to obey her. Sure enough, when she did, the whole ensemble brightened. Working harder, she got her lips to part in a genuine smile.

"See? Not so hard!"

Lightning laughed, more from absurdity than anything else. "It's ridiculous."

"It's amazing. Now, stay right there." Kaya dug around in a drawer for a minute and returned with a band strung with polished wood. "This'll help it look even better," she said, tying it around Lightning's neck. She adjusted her hair, pushing the bangs to one side while tugging on the hair draped over one shoulder. She further transformed, becoming a bit unrecognizable… yet, somehow, it made her feel _better_ to look this way. "There, good?"

Lightning touched the necklace. "Yeah, good."

"Excellent."

Lightning took another minute to gawk in more-or-less shock.

"Okay, woman, now you've got to get yourself up and out with everyone else. Go on!" Kaya took her shoulders and turned her around. Lightning looked at her before picking up the slippers that matched her dress by the door and putting them on. Thanking the tailor – who smiled and looked more than satisfied with his handiwork – she paid off the ensemble and made it to the door with a hand on the knob. Taking a breath, gathering her courage, she opened it and stepped out.

The city was positively _ablaze_ with color. There were colored paper lanterns strung everywhere, lights on but turned down low, people walking about in festive multicolored outfits, children laughing, groups of hunters and warriors walking by, and all the stars were coming out. Lightning just stood there in shock and a bit of glee, feeling herself go suddenly young again at how beautiful and cheery everything looked. A smile broke out on her face that quickly became a sincere grin. It was _wonderful_.

"Wow," she said, and walked out into the stream of people.

There were a million different scents – onions and peppers grilling on open flames, meats broiled in the open air, fresh-squeezed fruit, a plethora of floral scents, sun-warmed grass underfoot, the soil, the scent of clean chocobos, well-oiled leather… Lightning breathed it all in as deep as she could. Incredible. _Amazing_. It was simply _amazing_, there were just no other words for it.

"Claire!"

Lightning turned to see Yoteri and Janya side by side. "You look good," she said by way of greeting, and meaning it – Janya was dressed in a two-piece green outfit and Yoteri in a handsome hunter's outfit.

He smiled. "And you look lovely, Claire."

"You do." Janya grinned.

Lightning felt self-conscious but accepted the compliments with a gracious "thanks".

"So, what're ya up to?" Janya asked.

Lightning shrugged. "Just came out, actually. Guess I'm lookin' for things to do."

"Well, why not come with us? We're gonna check out the sights, see what's what, see who we can bother, y'know, stuff like that." She flashed a mischievous grin and quirk of the eyebrow. Yoteri nudged her with an elbow, making her giggle. Lightning got the impression there was something she wasn't seeing. "So, you game for that?"

"Got nothin' better to do," she admitted with a quick smile. "Sure."

The three walked off into the city. Lightning looked up to see even more lanterns, these in green, strung across the plaza, suspended like stars in midair. The whole city was lit up in an array of colors from the entire spectrum. It was like walking through a dreamscape or a fantasy brought to life, as if the stars themselves had seen the fun being had and dropped out of the firmament to join in. A few girls walked around with big bunches of glowing flowers of all colors, from blue to green to red, handing them out to female passerby. Most of them took the flowers and put them in their hair or somewhere on their clothing themselves, but those who walked with men at their sides to form pairs let him choose where it went. A few of them – mostly boys of twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old – were shivering messes when they tried to handle the flowers.

Lightning got the feeling that this was some sort of dating ritual, since the group of men and women didn't bother with it.

"Janya, wait a sec," Yoteri said, gently catching her arm. As she looked at him curiously, he plucked a large green flower from one of the bunches and returned to tuck it in the braids her hair was bound into. "There! Amazing."

She poked him. "_You're_ just sayin' that, you rat."

"You're welcome," he said, and made a face.

Lightning followed a step behind them, getting the feeling she didn't belong in the conversation they were having as they walked. Eventually, she stopped altogether. They continued on without a glance at her; she sighed. It was typical. When she had her few friends in high school, they paired off and regularly left her behind to go running off with their boyfriends. Her sister had had the same issue even after she started dating and looking at life after graduation. With no one to follow, Lightning instead carved her own path, actually pleased to be able to wander by herself for a while through the surreal landscape of the festival.

The night wore on as she went from place to place and overflowed with curiosity. Merchants called out their wares and demonstrated their creativity with colorful displays. She managed to sample at least thirty different foods, some spicy, some sweet, some made from roots or nuts or berries preserved during the summer, and finally called it quits when she couldn't swallow the last bite of some candied preserves. Satisfied and feeling quite pleasant, she strolled along with her hands clasped behind her back.

It was later that she came across a small crowd of people gathered around the central plaza, all of them facing the pavilion that had been set up in the center. She almost kept going, but a burst of applause caught her attention and drew her back. It took some effort, but finally she squeezed through the crowd enough to see Yeul and a small group of people – including Caius, Nomin, and a few hunters she recognized from around town – standing together on the pavilion. Caius was speaking now with Nomin at his side. Yeul stood a small distance away.

"What'd I miss?" she said to no one in particular.

"Caius is pickin' his successor," someone answered from her right.

"–and he is well aware of the burden that shall befall him should something ever happen to me before I believe he is truly ready," the current Guardian said with one hand on Nomin's shoulder. "He is strong, intelligent, and holds the strength of our nation above even his personal desires and those of his friends and family. Such piety is exactly what we will need."

Lightning heard the unspoken words in his slightly uneven tone: _such piety is exactly what we will need should I die in the war to come_. It squeezed her chest in a vise.

"Paddra Ballad-Nomin, do you take upon yourself these charges and the taking up of the title as Guardian to the city of Paddra, its people, and its leader, and understand their welfare comes first above all else in this whole world?"

Nomin spoke in the strongest, loudest voice she'd yet heard out of him. "I accept, and understand."

"Then I accept you as my apprentice and successor."

Lightning folded her arms. Something about Nomin's expression seemed a little _off_, but she didn't have a chance to pin it down before he shook Caius's hand and gave a deep, respectful bow from the waist to Caius before walking over to Yeul and kneeling before her. She placed both hands on his shoulders and said something she couldn't hear; he bowed his head, was immobile a moment, then stood and faced the crowd. Everyone cheered; Lightning hesitated before doing the same.

The crowd dispersed, and Nomin hopped down off the pavilion. Caius walked over to Yeul, having to bend down to speak to her as he towered over her. Lightning moved closer; Nomin passed without a glance in her direction. Yeul said something with a reassuring smile and patted Caius on the shoulder. He seemed bothered, but only nodded and straightened. She made a dismissive motion with one hand; he backed up and watched as she walked off with two others in tow – friends, perhaps – into the city. He then stepped off the pavilion.

"Caius!" she called out.

He looked up, scanning the crowd. Lightning lifted an eyebrow as his gaze roved right over her and almost called out again before he finally saw her. Instead of answering, he seemed dumbstruck. He probably hadn't recognized her. Momentarily, he recovered, closing the distance between them with a few long strides.

"Claire," he said. She felt self-conscious as he looked her over, but in a strangely positive sort of way. "You look–" He hesitated, then smiled. "You look…" Pause. Was he looking for the right word? "…beautiful."

She smiled at him. "Well… thank you." She hesitated, not knowing what else to say at first. "So, you picked Nomin after all," she said at last. "I guess I can trust your judgment, right?"

"He will be a good successor if anything should happen."

"Seems a little… serious."

"He is, and that is why he makes a good apprentice. He's willing to learn and loyal to the nation. If he sees a weakness, whether in the people or whatever it may be, he will take care of it. Besides, he makes for an intimidating sight," he added, glancing past her. Lightning looked to see Nomin talking to a group of hunters some distance away. "If nothing else, he'll frighten our enemies."

Lightning got the feeling things were about to get awkward, but wasn't sure how. "Hey, let's… maybe we can find something worthwhile around here, huh?"

He nodded. "Agreed."

They walked together then, threading their way through the crowds. As they went along, she noticed Caius kept glancing sideways at her and finally caught his arm as they walked. "What?" she demanded. "You keep doing that – what's on your mind, stranger?"

"I'm just–" He hesitated, then sighed. "I suppose I'm just curious about you. Yes, you've told me many things about yourself, as well as some things you said you've not told anyone else, but there's one I continue to wonder about."

"What's that?"

"Your sister. You speak in a way that tells me you care deeply for her."

"Oh." Her sister was still a sensitive subject, although the timeline had probably changed by now to a point where she had avoided death, but she still couldn't forget seeing a vision – though, whether it had been current, or just an image of what had been to come – of her dying in Noel's arms, limp as a ragdoll. Still, she spoke up. "Well, after my– _our_ parents died, she was my only family. She's smaller than me, skinnier, and looks a lot more delicate than she really is. Her fiancé, well, he's huge compared to her – about _your_ height, and you know how much taller than _me_ you are. Now imagine me having half the mass and being a few inches shorter."

Caius smirked. "She _does_ sound rather small."

"Yeah, exactly. I was afraid of losing her, even though it'd be Snow's – that's his name, Snow – job to take care of her, but I guess… I got overprotective, and couldn't let her go. But she was in love and it was for real. I couldn't accept it. But she's pretty tough, and she learned to hunt and fight out in the wild, and I _know_ she can handle herself in a fight." She smiled at the images she'd in Valhalla of her and Noel facing Cie'th, Hope's proto-fal'Cie, and giant robots. "I've seen it."

"Will you return to her someday?"

"I plan on it. I mean, she's still my sister, even if she's getting married and going to start a family of her own."

"You could stay with us and still see her."

Lightning winced. "My whole existence was about keeping her safe, but…" She sighed. "I guess I don't need to anymore, really. Snow will take care of her. He went to the ends of the earth, faced fal'Cie, and… You know," she said suddenly, "I keep getting booted out of her life, pushed to the sidelines. Is that a sign?"

"I'm not sure if such things can be called 'signs'."

Lightning flexed her fingers. "I was so young when I became a warrior," she murmured, "maybe too young. I'm not sure it was the right thing. I'm not sure it's what was best. But I did it for my sister and got pretty good pay out of it, keeping society safe, so it was good enough."

She felt him touch her forearm. "It sounds like you devoted most of your adult life to being her keeper. I am certain she will always remember and appreciate your kindness. Still, in Paddra we have a point where even families must part to an extent where marriage is involved."

She sighed. "Time to let go, huh."

"Well, you cannot spend your whole life looking after her."

"Caius." Reaching out, she touched his shoulder, bringing them both to a stop. When his warmth bled into her, she immediately felt better. "If I don't, I'll have to face the chance of running into some idiot I can't get rid of just like she did and end up falling in love."

"What a horrifying possibility."

She laughed at his deadpan delivery. They had made their way some distance from the plaza and were now walking amongst the merchants. Girls with flowers and boys running around surrounded them while shopkeepers kept eagle eyes on the passerby. "Not as much as it used to be," she said.

He glanced down at her as she met his eyes. Something seemed to click then, an understanding that went right from one heart to the other.

Lightning felt sick to her stomach, regretting having said those words at all. To tell him she had found herself caring about him was something that just couldn't happen. He would wake up from stasis in the future only to discover she had left this land forever. She couldn't have him pining after or searching for her when she could never be found. He had to live a life free from her memory and entanglements involving a time traveler.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice his gaze had drifted to scan the crowd until he pivoted in place. Curious, she stared at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Wait here," he said after a moment, and walked off.

Lightning watched as he threaded his way to a small girl holding a multicolored bunch of glowing flowers. It was Malo, she realized (small world). Folding her arms and lifting an eyebrow, she watched them talk for a bit before he stopped and stared at her. Malo gave him a sheepish grin and held out the flowers. He examined them, then carefully plucked a blue one from the bunch. She grinned; he smirked and ruffled her hair. As he walked back, Malo fixed the damage.

Lightning was glad of the darkness to hide her faint blush. "No," she insisted.

He smirked at her. "Don't be shy. Hold still."

Lightning did as he asked as he moved close and inserted the stem into her hair just above her ear. With quick, deft movements, he secured it by looping some of hair around it. She fidgeted a little as his fingers brushed her temple, then blushed harder when he lingered. Just as she started to become anxious, he stepped back.

She touched it. "How's it look?"

His smirk became a smile. "Beautiful."

Giving him a quick, embarrassed smile, she looked down at the grass. Was this how Snow made Serah feel? Was this warmth and joy universal when two people got to know each other to this point? Unfortunately, each minute she spent with him was like twisting a knife in her gut, tighter and tighter, until her entrails wrapped around it and her soul began to scar. It was hard to hide her sadness and harder still to figure out how she could be so happy and grief-stricken at the same time.

"How long does the festival go on for?" she asked.

"Generally, three days, but this time is different." She noticed his grim tone and reached out to snag his shoulder.

"Why?" she asked.

"Yeul told me something," he said. The general pleasantness of the evening was gone from him now, given way to a faint furrow in his brow. "She said there has been a fresh vision – one telling her that this skirmish, this… war is but the first step to greater trouble. She would not tell me what it was, but said the people will need more time to prepare for this threat. If things go as planned – and she would not explain that, either – I will be able to sleep for some time before I am needed again, and you will go back home. She said to tell you that."

Lightning gritted her teeth. "Back home," she muttered.

"What's wrong?"

Lightning looked away._ I'll never see you again_. "It's nothing," she said.

"Claire," he said, and proceeded to produce the straw that finally broke her back: gently, uncertainly, he took her hand in his and held it tight. The warmth, the pressure of his fingers, his heartbeat, finally pushed her over the edge.

"No. It's…"

Lightning believed she'd outgrown the need to distance herself from her problems. How many had she confronted head-on? How many had she driven away with her blade or a good word to its face? But now all she wanted to do was run. Bolt. Push him away. Because how _dare_ this angry immortal from Valhalla become the one thing she loved as much as her sister, in a way that drove the knife not into her gut, but her heart, and snapped it off, cementing it in its new home, sunk deep into her chest.

"I need to talk to Yeul," she said, and turned away before he could say anything about it.

* * *

"I don't believe it." Snow sat on the steps leading to the only time gate in the Coliseum with his arms dangling off his knees. Things were quieter than they had ever been before in this place so far removed from time that it was almost unsettling. There were no new arrivals. The beasts he had once been forced to fight since arriving here had dwindled to a sputtering trickle, then ceased altogether some time ago, by a count he could really only maintain in his head. Even the Arbiter seemed to sleep more often now and rarely woke anymore. With no one to talk to most of the time, Snow took to talking to himself. "This is the most stable I've ever seen things."

Silence. The Arbiter was either asleep or ignoring him.

Snow closed his eyes to better focus on the images in his head. At the beginning of the timeline, where Lightning was once seen being dragged away by the shadowy fingers of chaos, there was just the four remaining l'Cie from the Day of Ragnarok, plus Serah and Dajh, all frozen in time, gazing up at the crystallized Cocoon. At the end, where once the new land born from chaos infecting Gran Pulse could be seen, Serah was standing there on the grassy field beneath Cocoon. Caius stood some distance away, gazing at her. Noel was there also, but seemed to be ignoring them both in favor of Cocoon. Between the two was a succession of images, the majority of which were converged to the point where they were indistinguishable from one another. Those that weren't shot off into the blackness, half-faded photographs turning to dust in the maw. Around and through it all were flecks of crystal, floating in silence between completely static images.

Was the future still in flux? Had Lightning succeeded in her mission? If so, why were things still messed up?

"C'mon, Light. I know it's rough, but you–"

There was a slight shift in the timeline at its center, like wind blowing through grass. Two images, one of Academia with the new Cocoon tethered to the ground and one of a smaller, shorter Academia with only the old Cocoon in the background, shivered as if something had brushed past. Then, slowly, the first fell away, breaking up into flecks of dust that were immediately swallowed by the void. The moment it vanished, a few further down split from their partners and turned to dust. The static images that remained were of people, places, and events he'd never seen, most of them resembling ones he'd seen before but a few completely alien to him.

In spite of being outside the corrupt timeline, Snow could still see Lightning – thus how he could answer Caius and speak as though their minds were one – wandering about the ancient Pulse, but the events there were out of sequence in his perspective. One edge of her mission portrayed Lightning facing off against the faeryl, while the other showed her wandering about the city. In between were jumbled images he could put in chronological order based purely on conjectural logic and ballpark estimates.

Then he saw an image of Lightning walking through a plaza hung with blue and violet lanterns with her charge a few steps behind her. A second later, the image changed, and Snow suddenly felt as though someone had knocked the wind out of him.

"Oh…" He buried his face in his eyes and squeezed his eyes tight shut. "Oh, sis, I'm so _sorry_…"

The only comfort he could have was that it would be over soon.

Since he existed outside the timeline, would _he_ remember everything he'd seen, too? Or would she be the only one –the lone witness to a history that no longer existed in any meaningful manner? He prayed that he would, because this image only solidified what he had suspected and planted it firmly, in chronological terms, in front of an even harsher image on the Steppe.

She would need all the kindness, all the understanding, she could ever get.

* * *

"Yeul." Lightning snagged the younger woman's arm and stopped her in her tracks. The two others who walked with her, a middle-aged woman and a teenage girl, stopped and watched, but made no move to intercept her. "This vision you had, of what's to come… what is it?"

The girl met her eyes, brow furrowing slightly. "Caius is close by. He need not know."

"He's your Guardian."

"There is nothing even he can do to prevent or soften what is to come."

Before she could demand a better answer, she sensed Caius behind her and let go. The two looked at each other; Lightning let her brow furrow. Caius seemed to understand and stepped back a little, giving them a bit more space.

"All of you, back," Yeul said. "I must speak to Claire alone a moment."

The two other women did as she asked. Caius looked vaguely distressed, but he gave her a respectful nod and turned his back, moving away. Yeul took her wrist and led her away from them. Once they were quite a distance from anyone, but with the hum of the festival to shroud their words, she drew Lightning closer and lowered her voice.

"There is a civil war to come, beginning with this simple skirmish, and far worse."

Lightning frowned. "Such as?"

"Soon there will come a war so fierce and bloody and terrible that it will wipe the world clean of human life," she said. Her voice quaked slightly as she spoke. "It is when the people of my world will look to the sky and see not the moon, but Lindzei's cradle of death and destruction. It is when the people of Cocoon will stand up against the forces of my world in an attempt to keep control, and where two children of Oerba will be forced to make a choice where the fate of both worlds will be in jeopardy. I cannot see the outcome. Too much is still distorted. But I know Caius will be involved in the war, and by then he will be very powerful."

Lightning gritted her teeth. The War of Transgression. Fang and Vanille. The armies of Lindzei's l'Cie and Pulse's l'Cie facing off in a battle of power. Lightning wasn't sure the Farseers had survived in her timeline. Had Caius, imbued with the Heart of Chaos, been powerful enough to ensure the survival of his people? Without it, were the Farseers wiped out? There had been Cie'th infesting all the land she and the others had traveled.

How many of them had been Farseers?

It seemed Yeul hadn't caught her look of distress, or simply let it go. "I must cut this festival short tomorrow," she said. "My people must know, or they will not survive at all. We must give them hope, for from now on, it will be a fight to survive. This is the last time any true joy will be felt by any of them. And," she added, "for yourself."

Lightning paled a little. "What do you mean?"

"I have seen how your journey ends."

"And…?"

"Seize the day, for time is but dust and ash that slips through your fingers, forever falling away, always drifting into the void of the past and running into the future of tomorrow. You breathe a moment in time that is a paradox and a miracle in itself. No moment should be wasted."

Lightning took a deep breath. "Alright."

"Seize the day, Claire," Yeul repeated, "and keep him safe in your heart."

Lightning stared at her as she smiled sadly and started to move away. Before she got too far, Lightning whispered, "I wish I could tell him how I feel. I wish I could tell him everything. But if I do… if I let the consequences of my… of my–"

Yeul looked back at her. "Accept that all things come with a price, but also that this light shall conquer the shadows in your heart."

Lightning shrank back a little, one hand coming to her chest to rest over her heart. Yeul walked away with the other two into the city; Caius walked up beside her, looking curious. Lightning stood there for a minute with her hand still held to her chest. His presence made her feel safe, but knowing what lay ahead in just a few short days made her want to push him away. How did this happen? How _dare_ she let her guard down, how _dare_ she let Caius into her steel-walled heart, trespassing on virgin territory she reserved for no soul. He wasn't even that special. He was just an ordinary man, ultimately, who happened to be the crux of the timeline. Yet he was special to _her_, and she knew every once in a while the thought of what _might have been_ would enter her heart and rip up the wounds he had accidentally gouged into her soul.

"I won't ask," he murmured, briefly interrupting her thoughts.

Lightning looked at the grass and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her lips form his name of their own accord. It was just a breath of air, the whisper of a blade of grass rustling in a summertime breeze, but that whisper carried on it all her pain, her joy, her hope… and her sorrow.

"What is it?" he murmured.

"Don't you merge with your Eidolon, Caius," she said, eyes still closed. "Don't you _dare_. No matter what happens, don't give in. You don't have to die to protect your people."

"My people come first."

"That's not it," she said. "I can't– I mean… if you died, I wouldn't–"

No. She no longer wanted to be the Amazon, the strong woman, the independent warrior. No more tough girl. No more lies. No more hiding behind the steel walls of adulthood or the moniker of "Lightning". She was _Claire_. She was her own person, a _new_ person.

Looking up, taking a breath, she said, "If you died, I wouldn't know what to do."

How much more honest could she get? Could he recognize the confession for what it was? It was both a recognition of the permanently broken timeline should he perish on the battlefield, brought back to life by the careless hand of Etro, and a confession of the confused emotions all tumbling around inside her. No, more than that… a confession of her _love_.

He seemed to understand, as he stared at her for a moment. "What?" he whispered, in a soft, sweet manner that reminded her of a child.

She could still save herself. She could still say _it's not what you think_ and blow it off. She could shrug and laugh and tell him he's imagining things. But she couldn't make herself do it. There was no more time for lies and no time for games. This was the only chance she would ever have.

Lightning had seen Serah sidle up to Snow whenever her brazen older sister had condemned their relationship once she found out about it. She had seen Serah laugh with stars in her eyes while wrapped in his arms. She had seen her cling to him in fear or anxiety when something wasn't going quite right. She had seen an image of her switching the roles and hugging Snow almost protectively as Noel tore into him in the Sunleth Waterscape. Now, it was her turn to be weak for a moment.

Wordlessly, before she lost her nerve, before the "Lightning" half could remind her this wasn't appropriate behavior and she didn't need a man to make her feel better, she closed the distance between them and embraced him, hugging him close, her head falling so naturally to his chest, and felt him respond after only a second's hesitation. He rested his cheek atop her head, breathing against her hair, one arm about her waist with the other encircling her shoulders, holding her, _cradling_ her, protectively, strong and warm and _wonderful_.

The rush of feeling that sent a song of joy and grief through her blood was one she grabbed hold of and promised to hold in her heart forever.

"Claire," he breathed, hand coming up to stroke her hair and down her spine. He whispered her name a few more times, each falling from his lips more gracefully than the last, each stroke of his hand a little more hypnotic than the last. "For you, I promise, I will not."

Lightning felt tears pricking her eyes and let them fall. With her face buried in his chest and the shadows to shroud them, no one could see them, not even the man who held her. Yet she could not hide them, for a shaky breath and a brief sob wrenched from her lungs alerted him to their presence. He held her tighter, and she tried to stifle them. He recognized _that_, too. Was she so transparent? Or did he know her better than she wanted to admit?

"It's alright to cry," he said softly. "I only wish I knew why."

His honesty, his warmth, his strength, his patience, just _him_, was enough to make her think how much she had been missing by keeping herself separate from everyone and everything. _Lightning_ never broke down like this, but here, she wasn't "Lightning". She was an entirely different woman, unchanged at her core, but more mature, more open, more honest, in all the ways that mattered. What was a little comfort from the man she so dearly loved, knowing he would soon be gone from her forever? She could be strong, be "Lightning", and still let herself go like this just for a little while.

"Just hold me, Caius," she said, voice strong but the foundation trembling. "Just hold me."

* * *

_There are now only two chapters remaining. Thanks for your favorites, follows, and reviews for this (admittedly unusual) story!_


	21. What You Leave Behind

_**What You Leave Behind**_

The morning dawned oddly clear and bright for such an ominous time. Lightning, tired from the festivities of the previous night, slept until sunrise – which, in this cleft where the city resided, was when the sun rose over the cliffs to warm the place. As she woke slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, awareness crept into her. Memories of the previous night and the seeress's grim words came back to her. She sat up in bed, rubbing her arms, bringing back the memory of Caius's warm and willing embrace.

That tore open a fresh wound and made her cringe.

She kicked back the sheets and climbed out of bed, hurrying to get cleaned up. It was after she took a quick shower and dried off that she considered what to wear. One of her hunting outfits, maybe?

Lightning hesitated with a hand on the dress where it hung from a hook on the wall. The festival would go on until Yeul brought the dire news. It couldn't hurt. Besides, it was quite comfortable, and Caius thought she was beautiful in it. Before she could doubt herself, she slipped into it and made sure everything was fitted properly. She left the necklace where it was, reminding herself to return it to Kaya before she left, and went out into the sunshine. It was almost warm, though there were shadows here and there to keep a sense of coolness in the valley.

She found a vendor who sold fresh fruits and vegetables with vats of flower nectar and made a quick but filling breakfast out of it. As she sat in the shade to eat and, afterward, digest, she watched the festival-goers walk around, couples hand-in-hand, and felt a little sick to her stomach. She and Caius had wandered around for a few hours after their lengthy embrace before parting ways to go home and sleep.

Sighing, she flexed her fingers before rubbing each hand in turn. Soon these moments would be just memories and all of this would be dust and ash.

She sat for some time, maybe an hour or two, staring blankly at the city, wishing she'd taken advantage of the time she'd been given to explore this land more. What was Oerba like before the War of Transgression? Was Taejin's Tower snapped off at the spire? Had Atomos dug its tunnels yet? She had all these questions that could not be easily answered and wished she'd had the chance to do so before everything fell apart.

Reaching down, she touched her knee. By this time, it was more or less fully healed. Right now, after all the walking last night, it was a bit sore, but not in pain.

In a way, she just wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere, curl up, and hide away. While still a warrior, a soldier, she was also a human being. When she went home, would she forget? Would Caius be a fleeting memory? Or would he, and everything and everyone she had found, be branded on her heart forever?

"Claire, there you are."

Lightning felt her heart leap at that familiar voice. "Caius," she said, looking at him. Her lips became a smile as he approached, but it quickly faded once she saw his face. It was grim, with spots of darkness beneath both eyes, lips taut, gait stiff, shoulders straight. He sat down heavily, folding his hands on the table, not looking at her but off into the city. Forcing herself to be patient, she settled back, watching him. He said nothing and hardly moved.

Finally, he said, "Good morning."

She leaned on the table and interlaced her fingers. "You didn't sleep well."

Now he looked her in the eye. His lips twitched, parted, quirked a while, before he looked down again. "Not as I did in the past," he admitted.

She sat in silence, waiting patiently again, watching his face. The cues of his features – the way his brows twitched every so often, how the corner of his mouth worked, how his eyes constantly changed where they focused, the very brief tightening of the skin beneath both eyes – told her something was up. She recognized those cues from Valhalla. She knew every quirk, every twitch, too well, and it bothered her.

The silence finally ended when he sighed through his nose. "I spent the dawn hours with Yeul," he said. "She told me what I wished to know only after I pressed it out of her, as her continued silence was beginning to concern me." Pause. The frown deepened. "There is an even greater war coming, one I may be present for, that will ravage the entire world, not just our land. The first step is made here. And worse…"

He hesitated. Lightning touched his hand. "What?"

"Worse…" He hesitated again, but this time he looked at her. "This is the first step to civil war, one that will destroy the city."

Lightning squeezed his fingers. "I'm sorry." She recognized the grim look – it was very similar to the one he bore whenever she looked across time and saw his face over the lifeless body of yet another Yeul. This time, however, he held it not for a single person, but for all of his people. The way his lips pressed together was all too familiar to her.

"I _must_ protect my home." He brought his free hand to his brand. "And I _must_ complete my Focus."

"You know what it is."

He hummed softly and nodded. "When Tesrai comes for the seeress, I must push them back. Only when they finally turn tail and run will my Focus be considered complete, and I become indestructible crystal. I will then sleep until I am needed again, so I may not be awake to see my home–"

He cut himself off; Lightning squeezed his fingers again.

Silence hung between them like spider webs.

"Yeul is going to make the announcement of these coming wars. She says she will not live the greater war to see it if all goes well – and she would not tell me what that meant," he muttered, "so it will be up to her successor to tell our people and prepare them."

Lightning felt relief at hearing this. Indeed, the timeline was going to be reset just as she'd hoped.

He seemed to sense this as he stared at her. "What is it?"

She sighed. "It's saddening to think about."

"Well," he said, "first things first. I must protect my people from Tesrai." He fell silent and looked at her, tipping his head in a way that made his hair fall away from his eyes entirely, stirring faintly in the morning breeze.

"That's most important," she agreed.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

She stared at him for a minute. A moment later, she hummed softly. "I'm just thinking about something, that's all," she said. "That, and, well, your Guardian status. What you're going to be up against." Reluctantly, but quickly, she let go of him and leaned back. "She's making the announcement today?"

He nodded. "Once I arrive, but I needn't be there just yet."

"When do you, then?"

"The sooner, the better, and preferably before noon."

Lightning flexed her fingers. "Well," she said, standing, "we should get going."

"But–"

She shook her head. Caius frowned, but stood without objection. She waited until he was at her side before turning and heading off into the city, asking him where the announcement was supposed to take place. He said it was on the pavilion from last night, in the city center; she nodded, and together they walked on. There was silence. Lightning tried not to think, having to restrain herself from reaching out for him. She wanted him to hold her again, wanted him to touch her, and she wondered what a kiss would be like. That, though, would be senseless.

"You're rather quiet."

Lightning attempted to ignore him, but she couldn't resist for long. "I'm just deep in thought. Don't worry."

She heard him snort softly. "You cannot fool me."

Feeling momentarily sullen, she bit her lip, trying not to look at him. "Maybe."

They continued on into the city center, finally finding the pavilion from the previous night. They both stopped, though, at the sight – Nomin, standing where a Guardian would normally stand at the side of Yeul, speaking out to the assembly. Yeul looked less than pleased. When Lightning looked at Caius, she saw an expression of annoyance before he moved away from her.

"Nomin!" he shouted. The man in question stopped talking to look right at him with his unblinking blue stare. "Who died and made you Guardian?"

Lightning moved closer as Caius got up on the pavilion. They stood face-to-face with stares that reminded her very much of two men looking for a barroom brawl. Nomin deepened his frown while Caius pointedly looked down at him with his lips pressed tight together. Then they separated without another word, Nomin retreating while Caius took up his place at Yeul's side. Lightning noted his stance – one of intimidation and quiet strength, his silhouette hard to ignore against the sunlit cliffs far behind him.

There were a few minutes where Yeul made general announcements and more people shuffled into place around the pavilion.

Then she said, in a strong voice, "–but most of all, my people, there is war on the horizon, and it is close now."

The crowd went silent. Lightning crossed her arms.

"The nation of Tesrai has been our uneasy ally for many years, since long before I was born," she said. "Now they have sent us a warning. They believe our devotion to Etro is a threat to the stability of the land based on what little they know of these higher entities. To prevent the collapse of our world, they insist on coming for me to break us."

Lightning stared as everyone around her muttered. What was the whole truth?

"And they will come tomorrow."

There was a momentary outcry of unrest before the muttering returned. The warriors and hunters straightened up while the boys and young men were curious and eager. Some of the girls looked interested if they were not moving closer to their elders.

"That is all I have to say, for now. My Guardian will protect us, but he cannot do it alone. All of you must help him if you are able-bodied warriors." She folded her hands and hesitated a moment. "Warriors, hunters, please, do not let our people and culture and land slip away from us. We have already fought too hard to keep it in the past, before the world became stable. Let no unnecessary blood be shed."

Lightning frowned a little as the girl and her aides began to disperse. Caius and Nomin stood face-to-face once more with severe looks, their speech rather animated, although Caius seemed more emotional while Nomin used less body language, emotions instead showing in the lines of his face and in his eyes. Soon, though, he said something that made Caius stop short and give him a look that Lightning recognized as a dangerous one, but the younger man was unconcerned. Instead, mostly stoic as usual, he turned and walked off. The Guardian stood there for a few moments, his expression quite severe, hands in fists at his sides. When he didn't move, Lightning approached, careful to move in full view of him until she stood at his side.

"Leave it, Caius," she said, "or whatever it is you do with whatever he said. It doesn't matter."

"Ah," he muttered, "but it _does_."

"Caius," she sighed, and laid a hand on his arm.

The severity melted out of his expression as he looked down at her. Their eyes met; his softened. "It isn't important, no," he admitted, and laid a hand on hers, giving it a brief squeeze. "Now, I must attend to my duties, but I will find you later. Please, enjoy the festival until it wraps tonight and get some rest. Clear your mind. I will see you later."

She sighed. _Yeah, leave me alone with my thoughts_. "Sure," she said without much enthusiasm.

He tipped her chin up to look at him. "Please."

Her lips twitched, briefly, into a half-smile, for his sake. "I'll try. That's all I can promise."

"Fair enough," he said, and let go.

Lightning watched him walk off to follow Yeul's crowd, waiting until he disappeared before she walked on as well into the crowd. As she started to go off into the city again, she happened to look to her left. The crowd dispersed as she watched. Malo and Anhui were left behind, the two standing silently with their heads hanging, staring at the ground between their feet. Malo appeared to have tears in her eyes. Anhui patted her sister's shoulder, her free hand rubbing the back of her neck.

Lightning approached them. "Hey, you two."

They looked up at her. Their usual spunk was missing, and sure enough, Malo's hazel eyes had tears in them. Anhui looked miserable herself.

Lightning remembered comforting her sister after their mom died and how Serah had cried for hours and prayed to anyone and anything that would listen to bring her back to them. The same instinct that made her give up so much of her time to comfort her sister kicked in now: she dropped to one knee to be on the same level as Malo and look up a little at Anhui and took their shoulders in both hands.

"What's wrong?"

Malo sniffled; Anhui looked even more miserable. "War," she said. "I've heard stories – we both have – about the wars before order was reestablished, after the Maker abandoned us centuries ago. Utter chaos. Death. So much was lost, and so much bloodshed–" Anhui broke off and sighed, obviously trying to maintain her composure, if only for her sister. "I like Caius, a lot. I don't– I know he's Guardian, but I don't want to see him hurt just for some stupid war. And not just him, but my family, my home, my fr–"

Lightning winced as she squeezed her shoulder. "I don't want to see him hurt, either," she began.

Anhui interrupted. "Because you care about him, a lot."

The woman bowed her head to hide the sudden cracks. "Just because I spent the evening of the festival with him?"

"Well, there's that, but nobody misses the subtle cues."

"'Subtle cues'?"

"That's how I heard one of my friends point out how this guy was completely head over heels for this girl," she said, smiling lopsidedly. "You know. Little things." The smile vanished. "I'm not stupid. He's a l'Cie. If he finishes his Focus, you might never see him again. If he doesn't, he becomes a monster. There's lots of stories about people who fell for 'doomed l'Cie'."

Lightning sighed and stood. "I don't want to see _anyone_ hurt, Anhui. So you can bet Caius, and all the others, even myself, will do _everything_ we can to keep us all safe."

"But it's _war_," she insisted. "War means bloodshed and violence. We might be defending our home, but what about the bigger one later? What'll _that_ one be? I don't want to see war! I don't _want_–" Then she lost her composure and buried her face in her hands, Lightning standing there not sure what to do. Malo joined in, the girl crying as if her heart had just been shattered.

"Hey, hey," she said, voice soft, but when that didn't work, she knelt again and embraced Malo. "I get it. I was a soldier for years, and I saw a lot of battle. It's– it's awful." She clamped down on her own tears, swallowing. "Just don't think about it. Don't. Be brave. You don't have to fight to be strong for your people."

Malo returned her embrace tightly. "Yeah," she mumbled, "brave."

"Harder than it sounds, huh?" She sighed. "Hey, why don't you two come hang out with me in the festival for a little while? It might help us relax." She pried Malo off and let the girl wipe her tears before tweaking their chins in turn and smiling at them. "You can tell me stories about the 'doomed l'Cie'. I've heard one or two, but they were… ah, well, not all that detailed."

Anhui nodded and returned the smile. "Gotta warn you, not all of them have happy endings."

"Or good ones," Malo added.

Lightning patted their shoulders. "A story's a story, and they exist for a reason. C'mon. Let's go find something to eat. I ate pretty recently and I'm already hungry." Together, the three of them went into the city.

Lightning and the girls spent the next several hours finding things to do, whether it was sampling the different foods or just wandering around. The two were most fascinated by the flower arrangements, particularly ones that glowed in the dark. Eventually, in the early afternoon, they stopped at one of the restaurants, where the atmosphere seemed a bit sullen, and Anhui began telling tales about l'Cie as Malo absently poked her food, once in a while taking a tiny bite and chewing very slowly.

At first, Lightning was only a little interested in the stories, but tried to be polite. Then Anhui told a tale that snagged her attention.

Centuries ago, at the end of the war that reestablished order between the fal'Cie and man, a tribe of people formed the city of Paddra in the mountains. It was then the fal'Cie began to brand people as l'Cie for their purposes after learning about mankind's free will. A young warrior from Tesrai met a man from Paddra and gradually fell in love with him. One day, stricken with guilt, he finally told her he was a l'Cie and had to complete his Focus within three days. The woman cried, but he said stasis might not last if he was needed again. Not wanting to take the chance, she begged a fal'Cie to brand her and was granted the request. The two completed their Foci and crystallized together, and their crystals stand in each other's arms on the plains outside Tesrai's largest settlement, never to wake.

Lightning rubbed a fingertip on the wood in thought.

"I haven't seen the crystals, but they're there," Anhui added. "Before this whole mess started, someone went over there and said the settlement grew up around them, but never disturbed them. They've eroded – it's been centuries, you know, since they fell asleep – but they're there."

"Choosing to become a l'Cie because she couldn't live without him?" She snorted. "Who does that?"

Anhui leaned on the table. "People in love."

"It's stupid."

"I think it's the most romantic thing I've ever heard," the girl responded, and there were stars in her eyes and a smile on her lips. "Love is powerful stuff. It doesn't matter whether you love someone as a lover, a friend, or a brother or sister – crystal stasis can be worth it."

Lightning thought of Fang and Vanille, holding up Cocoon, asleep just as they should be as the friends, even sisters, they were. "I guess."

The three poked at their food some more, then slowly finished it off entirely. Then Anhui said, "I'm sorry, but we have to get back home. Our parents– they… they probably want to talk to us." She nudged Malo, who put down her utensils with a quiet sigh. "Try to see us before you go off and fight a war, okay? Just in case something happens, I– I don't think–"

"It's okay." She smiled and nodded to them. "Go ahead."

"Thanks." Anhui stood, and Malo did the same. Giving her looks of gratitude, they turned and headed off.

"You two," Lightning said, "thanks. And Anhui, great stories."

Malo grinned at her. "I love hearing them."

Anhui smiled, even though it was a little bit strained. "You're welcome. See ya." They headed off again; Lightning stood, changed her mind, and sat down again. Propping herself on the table with both elbows, she digested both her food and the story of the l'Cie.

Who would be so willing to risk devolving into a crystalline monster for the sake of another? But no, she chided herself, she knew at least one who would – brash, emotional Snow, who would do anything to keep Serah safe, even facing the wrath of Cocoon and its inhabitants. Heaven forbid _she_ should ever find herself in a similar position. She never wanted to find out what kind of stupidity she'd get into for the sake of the man she loved.

Sometime later, she picked herself up, paid the bill, and wandered around the city again. Things were quieting down as the merchants began removing their wares. The great colorful lanterns were being extinguished, the papers folded up and put away. Gradually, the city became more deserted, and Lightning found herself back in the central plaza near the hotel where she'd first stayed. She stopped then, sitting on a fountain in the middle. It was getting dark and she was feeling tired, but didn't quite want to go home yet.

She wanted to see Caius again, before she crawled under the sheets to prepare for tomorrow's skirmish. Just to see him one more time tonight would be enough.

As if someone or something heard her silent prayers, she spotted his familiar silhouette coming toward her through the thinning crowd. He looked tired, but also pleased upon meeting her eyes. "I told you I would see you again," he said, moving to stand in front of her. "How are you this evening?"

She half-smiled. "I'm alright."

He held out a hand, and she took it, standing. "You look exhausted," he pointed out. "Not quite 'alright'. Should I accompany you home?"

Lightning felt a severe temptation to take him up on his offer. She squeezed his hand. "No, that's alright. I think you need to get some real rest yourself. I can find my way back home just fine. But, thank you, for offering." Giving him another half-smile, she started to turn away, but caught a concerned look in his eyes at the last second. "Really, I'm fine. Stop being so paranoid."

"Stop trying to hide your heart from me. I can see it well."

Lightning glanced around, seeing they were mostly alone except for a couple of warriors in the shadows, talking quietly, and a few passerby. He seemed to notice her anxiety, however muted, because he briefly clasped her hand in both of his, filling her with warmth.

"Claire," he said, taking her shoulders, "my stasis may only last a short while. I may need to be awakened very soon to help my people survive the coming wars. It may only last a week, or a month, or a year."

Lightning went pale. _No_–

"Sleep well, and, in the hopes that my stasis may last only a short while, wait for me." He punctuated that statement by smiling down at her, clearing away the sunlight and giving her chills instead, although they fought tooth and claw against the bloom of sweet warmth when he raised a hand to stroke her hair.

Lightning took a breath as he turned away. _No. This can't go on. It ends here_. "Caius, hold up."

He obeyed. "Yes?"

"I can't." She breathed deep and exhaled her emotions. "Please, don't ask me why, just know that I can't. I'm sorry, really." She knew her expression was almost emotionless, her eyes fixed on his, but knew also that a sort of pleading look had entered them, too – begging him not to press the matter, or judge her, or take it the wrong way. "Just try and understand that this can't happen."

He stared at her. The silence lasted for quite a while before he spoke again. "Then… I respect that."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Silence again. "I am… I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault," she assured him, and gave him a gentle smile. "I wish I could tell you more, but there's too much at stake if I do." Hesitating a second, she then extended a hand to him, palm up, and gave him an expression of pure appeal.

Caius visibly hesitated before coming up to her, taking her hand in his. When he paused, she drew him in, closer to her, looking up into his eyes. Neither of them said anything, content to gaze at each other instead, until she used her other hand to pull him down to her level. For a moment, the temptation to kiss his lips rose within her, like a spring from deep within the earth, but it was fleeting, and instead her lips met his cheek in a platonic gesture she prayed he understood the deeper meaning of.

Between them, she felt him tighten his grip on her hand.

"Go get some rest." She spoke against his cheek, eyes closed, and briefly breathed in his scent in one last attempt to memorize it. "Please. You must complete your Focus."

He embraced her then, tighter than she'd held onto him the previous night. It almost seemed like he was pleading with her. This time, it was her turn to be the comforter, and so she did, letting him tuck his chin into her shoulder and hold her very close against him. However, both for her sake and his, she gently pried the two of them apart and held him at arm's length after a time. The look on his face struck her to her heart.

"Please, rest," she whispered.

He brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "Goodnight," he murmured, then, briefly surprising her, he leaned in and kissed her forehead. When it lingered, she closed her eyes, hanging on to the sensation. It was far too beautiful to let slip away.

They separated, feeling his fingers slide out of hers as he turned away. Clamping down on her grief, she felt for her emotional strength and dragged it up where she could hang onto it. It took a lot not break down and release the tears hiding beneath her eyes. It was time for strength. So many lives were going to be saved and so much was going to be alright in the future. Yes, the War of Transgression would come, and they would never see each other again, but that was alright. It was. She could do it.

But it still hurt. It still grieved her soul and pierced her heart and clamped her determined spirit in a vise to know she could not be with the man she loved.

Returning home, she let herself cry, no longer hiding the tears. She didn't crack open a dam. She didn't sob. She just cried, softly, silently, usually only when she let her thoughts drift. Her throat would tighten up and her lips would tremble, and she'd have to quickly put down what she was doing to catch herself. It wasn't fair, and it was her fault she'd let her guard down, but nothing could change what had happened, or what was about to.

Soon she'd be home, and Caius would have been dead for centuries.

Lightning turned facedown in bed and buried her face in her pillow to let a few more tears out.

* * *

The following day, Lightning, not entirely sure what to expect, put on one of her new hunter's outfits instead of her old one – a relatively form-fitting, practical green-and-blue outfit of varying natural hues with thick leather over sensitive areas, such as the inner thigh, and cord webbing across her back beneath the cloth. In short, it was an outfit made for close-quarters combat that reduced the impact of melee blows while reducing the likelihood a blow from a bladed weapon could cut deep enough to cause serious damage – at least, not initially.

Slinging her collapsible blade into its holster and securing it, she got as far as laying a hand on the latch of the front door before she hesitated.

Behind her was her home of so many weeks – had it been months, even, since she'd come here? She'd decorated it with catches from her hunts, ranging from pelts to fangs, and given it a few touches that were entirely her own, right up to color choices. It would be a home that, if all went well, she'd never see again – an old friend so far away, she could never hope to touch it.

Lightning looked over her shoulder to smile sadly at her two-room house. Her festival dress was hung neatly after its two days of use and all her personal belongings were right where they would be until the end of the world. The place may be ransacked during the civil war, but it was just as likely to stay intact until it, like everything else in the city, crumbled into ruin.

She walked out into the city, seeing that it was energetic now that news of the invasion – and subsequent war – was common knowledge. She searched for the other warriors and found them gathered in one of the side plazas, the one nearest the city entrance, talking. Included within the group were Nomin, Yoteri, Janya, and Spry, while the others were ones she didn't know so well. She quietly joined them.

" –that they will try for the front entrance, but we can't rule out them trying something else, too," Yoteri was saying.

"I agree." Nomin spoke in a quiet but strong and dangerous tone; Lightning glanced at him.

"We'll watch everything," Janya said.

"I can get a scout at the southern cleft," Spry put in. "If they come there, we'll get 'em."

"He'll let us know," Lightning said.

"Exactly," Janya acknowledged with a nod. "They come up, we know, and we get 'em. No one's gettin' into this city without goin' through us, and Caius. Huh, 'specially him."

"He's pretty stubborn, yeah," Yoteri said.

"'Pretty' stubborn? Ha!" Lightning shook her head. "He's not just stubborn, he's reckless."

"Indeed," Nomin murmured.

Lightning wasn't sure she liked his tone, but had nothing to say about it. Discussions went back to how to handle the invasion depending on how deep they managed to get. Soon, though, Lightning noticed that Nomin's face was less expressionless than normal. He seemed to be paying little attention.

"Something wrong?" she asked of him.

He looked at her. "Yes."

She hadn't been expecting that sort of answer. "What?"

He met her eyes. They were so eerily blue and very clear, reminding her of blue hues of Valhalla's ocean or the crystal dunes of Lake Bresha. They were just as cold and emotionless, too, making her anxious. There was something not quite right about him, but she could not begin to figure what it was. They went back to discussing the invasion, and Nomin chose one of the young men off to her right to be the scout. He was sent off a few minutes later, instructed to sound some sort of alarm if he saw any activity. The man said he'd whistle and demonstrated just how loud it could be before he left. In the cavernous space created by the pillars, the whistle may as well have been something designed just to cause deafness.

"I believe you," Nomin told him. "Go and keep a close eye on everything."

"Sir," he said, and left.

The discussions continued, but began to wind down, turning instead to admittance of anxiety from all of them. It was pointless, they knew, but on the anxious conversation went.

Then Nomin suddenly straightened. "Attention," he said.

The group faced the same direction he did and immediately straightened up. Caius, dressed in a new outfit with thicker cloth and more protection with a more intimidating appearance, approached them, coming up the steps to stand near the group. "How are the preparations going?"

"Well," Yoteri said.

"Good." He looked between them, briefly resting a beat longer on her, before looking at Nomin. "Park?"

"He is the southern scout," Nomin said.

"Is there anything more to discuss?"

"Not at the moment."

"Then you are all dismissed." Caius waved a hand, and the warriors immediately scattered. Nomin lingered; the two men looked at each other, but Caius turned away to stand beside Lightning instead. His apprentice backed up a step or two, but Lightning sensed him watching. "How are you feeling?"

Careful to keep a professional demeanor, Lightning nonetheless laid a hand on his shoulder. "I slept well," she said.

"Are you prepared?"

She sighed, looking out across the city. "As much as I can be."

When his hand fell to the middle of her back, she tensed a little. It was a merely platonic gesture, but she could feel something more in his touch. Thankfully, it was brief, though his hand lingered. "I certainly hope so. I will need all able bodies to handle what's to come. In all honesty," he added, dropping his hand at last, "I'm not sure how many there will be or even when they will arrive. Yeul will not tell me."

Lightning frowned. "That's odd." Pause. "Did you ask?"

"Multiple times. Her answer was… inconclusive."

"So, basically, nothing."

"As I said, she will not tell me."

The two walked down the steps into the plaza near the city entrance. Looking around, she saw that no civilians were here, only warriors and hunters waiting in the shadows. "It's a little uncomfortable out in the open," she admitted to him. "Can we, uh… move somewhere?"

He nodded and led her to an alcove nestled near the corner of the steps framed by lush vegetation. It was blooming and the scent was sweet. They backed into it and knelt in the shadows to wait.

And wait they did.

Lightning watched the sun track across the sky and listened as the city quieted down. Only the birds remained to fill the air with their song. Sometime later, she wriggled, changing position, hearing her spine pop. Caius gave her a look she returned with a distinctly sour one. Again they waited, and again there was nothing. Suspecting a couple of hours had gone by, she finally climbed out of the alcove.

"Claire–" he began.

"Wait," she told him. "Listen. There's nothing. No one's come. Just… nothing."

"They will not come when we ex–"

She turned, taking his hand and dragging him out. "Let's go check the central area. I know there's a perimeter guard, but it wouldn't hurt to check, especially near the bazaar. Is Yeul safe?"

He gritted his teeth. "She has multiple guards and would not allow me to be one of them. No, she insisted I be here."

_Strange_. "But you're her _Guardian_."

"Indeed, I am, and she will not allow me to fulfill my duties just yet. I don't know why, and it greatly concerns me."

"I'll bet." She tugged on his hand. "Let's go."

They went into the central area and checked every nook and cranny. Only the guards were there. Lightning and Caius exchanged worried – and somewhat annoyed – glances before sharing a sigh. He placed both hands on his waist while she folded her arms. Something wasn't right. She could feel it as an aura of tension in the air. Yet she couldn't pin it down no matter how she tried.

"Caius," she murmured, "I think–"

"My Guardian, Caius, I must speak with you now before it is too late."

Lightning and Caius looked over their shoulders in tandem. A few feet away was Nomin, but he looked more serious than ever. His staff hung loosely in his right hand, gleaming in the sunlight.

"What?" Caius said.

"I will be the next Guardian," Nomin said. "It is my duty to find weaknesses in our home."

"It is." The Guardian nodded; Lightning glanced between them. "You are observant and loyal. I trust you to do your job well, even if you seem a bit… eager, at times."

Nomin raised his staff. "You must cut off every weakness for the sake of our people."

Pause. "Why bring–"

"I know you have a weakness, Caius." Nomin pointed the business end of his staff at the man in question. "I saw it last night. Your weakness is that woman–" Here, he jerked the staff in Lightning's direction, making her tense. "–and we cannot afford that. You must devote yourself to Guardianship. Remove yourself from her side, or I will be forced to do it for you."

Caius raised an arm and pressed her back with it. Lightning, not liking where this was going, retreated. "You are not doing this, not now."

"You are a weakness as long as you worry for this woman."

"There is room for both, Nomin," Caius said. His voice sharpened into the dangerous tone she knew from their many wars in Valhalla. "She is a good warrior, and she will fight at my side if I so choose. Or do you deem yourself a better candidate to be Guardian than I?"

Nomin said, "I do."

The silence that fell was cold indeed. "Not now, Nomin. If you insist on ascending through the ranks so soon, you must wait until this is over. When I crystallize, you will be in charge."

"Then you wake, and are in charge again." Nomin gripped the staff with both hands. Lightning noticed they were planted on either side of a central cylinder slightly discolored from the rest of the weapon. "That is, if your concern for this woman does not override your common sense. You, the invulnerable warrior, who has been beaten near to death and escaped with the reward of the Oathbrand."

"Nomin, if–"

"Separate yourself from her, or I will."

Caius narrowed his eyes. "Is this some sort of petty excuse for your desires, boy?"

One moment, Nomin was several feet away and holding a staff. The next, the staff was two double-edged straight blades sparkling through the air that Caius barely blocked with his spear. Lightning scrambled back in time to see them strike again, then saw Nomin swing his right blade to make a cut for Caius's midsection. While the man dodged it, he had to give up his defense at the same time, leaving an opening. The guards turned to watch as Caius gave up and blasted Nomin away with pearly light.

The other man struck the pavement and rolled with it, then stood, dazed but otherwise unhurt.

"I knew your ambition," Caius muttered, "but I believed your loyalty to your people to be stronger."

"I am the strongest warrior in this city, Caius, and you know that." He squared his shoulders. "You know Miyoki had planned on taking _me_ as his apprentice before choosing you. Now I have the privilege of killing you and saving Paddra to earn the Oathbrand. I could be the strongest being on Gran Pulse."

"But not _now_!"

"Watch me." Nomin sprang straight at him.

Lightning watched, turned to stone by horror, as the two men grappled in the sunlight. Caius threw out as much of his power as he could, but the man dodged most of it, and what hit he merely shook off as the adrenaline flooded his body. He reminded her of the experimental soldiers pumped up on the same technology that rebuilt wild animals for PSICOM on Cocoon, fearless and fierce, soon sending Caius on the defensive and then into retreat as he came after the older man with unbridled wrath. Nomin, with his willowy athletic body and smaller frame, had the advantage more often than not against Caius's taller, heavier form.

Then, thirty seconds into the fight, Nomin feinted, sidestepped, and used a blade to force Caius to react reflexively while the other sliced into his shoulder.

Lightning flinched, sucking air through her teeth, feeling the pain.

Nomin then proceeded to press his brutality in a mad blood-fever, the adrenaline obvious in his eyes, skin flushed and body falling into a dance of death. Soon, forcing the Guardian back, he backhanded Caius across the face with one of the blades and made him land hard against a pillar. It cracked; he slumped to the groan with a harsh groan and was just struggling to stand – no doubt not completely healed from all the abuse his body had taken – when the younger man kicked him back down and raised his blade.

Lightning's first instinct was to bolt forward and stop that sword from piercing her love's heart, and she nearly did.

It was then they heard the whistle from the southern cleft.

* * *

_Remember I said there were two more chapters? Well, I miscounted. This is the first of three final chapters, not two. We have this one, the one covering the big battle I've been building up to forever, and then the final chapter. Also, the chapter title comes from the final episode of __**Star Trek: Deep Space Nine**__, one of my all time favorite television series, as I found it extremely fitting for what Lightning's going through. Enjoy and do tell me what you think!_

_Yes, I'm aware Nomin and Caius clashing feels pretty shallow. Two drafts of this story and I still can't get their conflict to flow right. I give up._


	22. March of the Dreadnaughts

_**March of the Dreadnoughts**_

The two men heard it at the same time, repeated two more times before it was abruptly cut off. The guard scrambled to intercept the invasion; Nomin looked down at Caius as they stared at each other – Caius bleeding from a few cuts all over his torso, Nomin still mad with a blood-thirst.

"We'll finish this later," he growled.

Caius glared at him as he ran off toward the scout's whistle. He struggled to get up; Lightning hurried to his side and helped him.

"I hope you're ready for this invasion force," he told her bitterly. "It will be unpleasant."

She squeezed his good shoulder. "Stand your ground. Don't get killed."

He smirked. "I shan't."

Together, they raced after Nomin to find the scout fighting off a willowy light-haired man while Nomin faced off against another with dark hair and bronze skin. Three more men were hurrying away from the guards; Caius sent them flying through the air with a single blast of energy. When they landed, one of them lay there groaning while the other two got up looking only mildly dazed. As he readied another blast, one of them lifted his own hand and sent one right back at him. Caius ducked and braced. An explosion of pearlescent light made her stumble, and while they were dazed, the two men continued on.

Caius broke away from her, running after the two men, lifting his spear. It glowed with energy. As she hurried after him to help out, he swung the spear in a broad, swift arc, tearing one man clean off the ground while the other only caught the edge and stumbled until he fell to one knee. The spear glowed brighter, and this time it let out an electric charge as it connected with the kneeling man to make him cry out in pain. Lightning ran for the other one, who had climbed to his feet and now headed deeper into the city. Giving up trying to close the distance on foot, she pounced instead, tackling his legs to bring them both down with a teeth-cracking _thud_ on the stone. Spots appeared before his eyes as he writhed beneath her like a cat with its tail caught, trying to kick her. Still she hung on even as he managed to flip them over, pressing her into the stone.

She let go just enough to make him think he'd won, then caught his legs again, grabbed his wrist, and turned his arm the wrong way. The elbow popped; he yelped.

Climbing up his body, she pinned him with her knees and reached for her sword. Just as she felt her fingers brush the handle, he used his other hand to claw at her face. Energy exploded from his fingertips, a flare of light that made her blind and dizzy just long enough. He bucked her off, slammed her to the ground, and ran.

Lightning felt stupid. _Of course_ Tesrai would send l'Cie! They were up against a Guardian, the most powerful type of l'Cie. Caius could handle ten at once if he could just get a grip on his powers, but Lightning remembered the time it'd taken before the six l'Cie had been able to control their power enough to make real use of them. In the beginning low-level soldiers had been troublesome. If someone had told her then they'd go up against fal'Cie _and win_, she'd never have believed them.

Finally blinking away the blindness, she was just in time to see Caius deliver a faceful of energy to the man he'd been grappling with, turning him into a quivering mess which he then tossed aside. Lightning wasn't sure whether he was dead or not and didn't want to find out.

"The other!" he demanded of her. "Where did he go?"

She stood. "There," she said, pointing.

He looked, saw the retreating man, and flicked his wrist. A single blast of energy was enough to send him toppling to the ground. Caius snorted and charged over to the prone, groaning form. Lightning followed. This was the man she knew – the no-nonsense warrior, a man of action. It was unnerving and exhilarating at once.

"So much for your invasion," Caius said as he reached the man. Grabbing his shoulder, he lifted him clean off the ground to eye level – which, for the victim, was a good foot or two off the stone. "Yeul said this would be a bloody conflict. Where's the rest of you?!"

The man glared.

"Speak up, or–" Caius squeezed, the joints of his fingers paling, and the man wheezed before becoming wild-eyed with his fingers digging into Caius's forearm, hard enough to make the Guardian flinch. The two l'Cie fought in a battle of wills; Lightning heard the man's neck make a _pop_.

"Here's an answer," he growled. His hands blazed with energy; Caius immediately released him. There were burns on the cloth now and a tiny flame in one spot; he put it out, then caught the man as he ran and threw him down.

"Answer or die!" he shouted, and clamped down on the man's throat.

"We're just a start, there's _worse_–" He grabbed Caius's forearm again, but the Guardian responded by using both hands to squeeze his throat. The victim began to wheeze again. "The plains…"

"What about them?"

"You think we came all alone against the combined might of Paddra and _you_?" He laughed, though it was a choking sort of laugh. "We couldn't make it. _They will_!"

"The plains are–"

"Where it all ends," he acknowledged, and began to squeeze Caius's forearms again.

Caius didn't stand for that, increasing the pressure on the l'Cie's neck, and finally he stopped fighting, releasing his arms to flop back on the stone, not moving. Caius, satisfied, looked up and called out, "Yoteri! Watch for others!"

Yoteri, joining the fray, nodded.

"There may be more of them out on the plains," he told Lightning, standing. "I think we should–"

"Caius!"

The Guardian pivoted to face Nomin, who was pretty battered up and bruised while also limping slightly. "What?"

"There are more of them."

Caius turned in time to see two more men leaping over a nearby wall and disappearing. Before he could go, Nomin ran off after them, the adrenaline immediately wiping away the limp. Caius protested, but Lightning clamped down on his arm and shook her head at him. They exchanged glances, then he turned to face a strange sound from up on the cliff face. Lightning peered past him.

"What–" was as far as he got before something sailed through the air and knocked him to the ground.

Lightning reacted without thinking, grabbing for her sword and unfolding it. The creature was a gorgon, all fangs and claws and hair, and it had three partners, all of them decorated with tattoos and war paint with beads looped around their tails and their claws well-sharpened to fine points. Their ferocity caught Caius off guard and he wasn't able to react before the one on top of him raked its claws across his chest, ripping the cloth down to the leather guard beneath it. Lightning thrust with her sword, but an instant later another of the beasts knocked her down and clawed at her face. Hissing through her teeth, she returned the assault.

Somehow, she managed to stab the gorgon through the chest and throw it off her. Just as she got up, Caius kicked the beast off him, scrambled to his feet, and, with a flick of his wrist, froze the three remaining beasts in place. They whined and wriggled and screeched, but he ignored them and shattered the ice into thousands of tiny shards. Before they could get up, he threw out a blast of electricity that silenced their cries.

"They seem determined," Caius muttered, looking around.

Lightning hesitated, also looking around, before saying, "Maybe we should check out the plains, just in case."

He nodded."Agreed. It might–"

There was an explosion behind them that startled Lightning so bad that she gasped as she whirled. They ran without waiting for each to acknowledge the other. Lightning realized the explosion had taken place deeper in the city, near the seeress's home, and there was a cloud of debris and smoke floating in the air. Ignoring the usual path, they went in a straight line, vaulting over low obstacles and either going around or climbing over taller ones, slashing through the brush when necessary.

"I should have been there," Caius hissed under his breath. "I wasn't _there_. I wasn't _protecting_ her!"

Lightning eyed him.

They crested a rise outside Yeul's home to see Nomin fending off five attackers at once. As they got closer, she saw he wasn't doing well, with multiple wounds and an arrow stuck in his torso. He moved stiffly, as if every movement were a struggle just to get his body to obey. Three of his attackers were heavily injured; the cloud of debris partly obscured the other two. Nomin stood in the middle of a small, shallow crater with flames licking about the rim – had he been at the epicenter of the explosion?

Caius wasted no time, shifting his weight midstride to run straight at the three wounded ones. They turned on him and tried to attack, but he got to them first.

Just then, Nomin took the two remaining down with both blades, eyes wide and half-mad with adrenaline and the blood fever. When their bodies toppled lifelessly to the ground, leaving Yeul safe from further attacks, the fever left his eyes, and he collapsed.

"Nomin!" Caius ran to his side and crouched. "Are you–"

"She's safe." Nomin looked him in the eye with his usual stoicism. "That's what–" Pause. His breathing turned rapid a moment, pulse jumping erratically. A spasm passed through his body, his hands twitched, blood darkened his clothing further, and he lay still.

Lightning moved to Caius's side. "He sacrificed himself for her."

"He survived an _explosion_." The man sounded slightly awed at this realization. "Magnificent. The memory of what has transpired here will remain with me." Pause. "I should have been the one to die. I am her Guardian, and _I_ should have protected her."

"Nomin was your apprentice, and he did instead," she pointed out. "He did his job. Now do yours."

Caius stared at Nomin's glassy eyes. "Then I shall take his name."

Lightning nodded. "Caius Ballad."

The Guardian crouched there a moment longer, then slowly straightened. "Caius… Ballad, hmm?" He looked at her and half-smiled a tiny bit. "Not bad, I suppose. And with it, with my name etched into history under his, I can rest assured our battle here will be forever unforgotten."

Lightning smiled despite the circumstances. Caius, eloquent even in the direst times. It was mildly comforting, in a strange sort of way.

"Now," he spoke up, "we need to see what's waiting out on the plains. I'm assuming he means the Archylte Steppe, but I can be wrong. But first–" He looked around, then motioned for her to wait and went back the way they had come. A few moments later, he returned with a couple of warriors. "Guard," he told them. "Claire, you and I need to find the others and get moving. Something isn't right."

Lightning nodded. "Agreed."

A few minutes later, they had managed to gather what warriors were still in commission along with a few hunters and civilians. It was quickly communicated that if there was indeed something going on out on the plains, it was best to intercept it before it could get any closer. Caius would lead by being the first on the scene while the others would follow close behind on foot or on chocobos. No one looked less than unsettled by this turn of events, and several had worry etched on the lines of their faces.

"If that's all…" Caius turned away, motioning Lightning to follow.

"What's going on?" she asked.

She watched with a prickle of growing understanding as he raised a hand to his brand, where it began to glow. "This time, I need you with me. Though," he added, pausing to look at her, "I'm not demanding. I'm merely hoping you will choose to go with me."

Lightning looked between his face and his brand. She had turned down his offer to fly on his Eidolon once before. This time, it seemed he was more desperate to have her at his side. It seemed her initial purpose – gaining his trust so she could fight alongside him in this final battle – was complete: he not only _wanted_ her to accompany him into battle, he, by his own admission, _needed_ her to.

She laid a hand on the one over his brand. "Of course."

She felt him clasp her hand and saw him give her a quick, grateful smile before releasing her and pulling his Eidolith free. He pitched it into the sky, and a few seconds later Bahamut soared out of the heavens to alight heavily on the grass nearby.

Caius looked over his shoulder. "Archers?" he shouted.

Lightning looked to see a group of people carrying bows of different types, including crossbows, hurrying both on foot and on chocobo. One of them, a man, paused. "You'll need us, I'm sure."

Lightning spotted Anhui in their midst and smirked.

"Be careful," Caius said, and the archers continued onward.

The two guardians – one for his people, one for the future – exchanged glances, Lightning knowing this was truly the battle that would decide the fate of the world. Then they ran forward to scale the beast and perch atop its back, Lightning finding her footing close behind Caius. The titanic wings lifted the creature out of the valley with no effort; the sudden gee-forces jerked Lightning down against its spine.

Bahamut took them over the mountain range and the Vallis Media, which looked different than she remembered. The fault forming the area around the base camp was there, but shallower and narrower with much rougher cliff walls. There were waterfalls in multiple places tumbling down into a fast-flowing river that fed a much larger one deeper into the geological formations of the lowest valleys. The path from the Steppe to the valley was wider with less vegetation and looked much less precarious. As they passed the route leading to the Steppe, she looked at the horizon to see Cocoon hanging intact in the sky like a big brown moon.

Then their mount led out a cry and flapped its wings in a sudden panic, trembling.

"Here we are," Caius told her, and pointed.

Lightning looked ahead over the Steppe to see what looked like a mass of fire ants scrambling across the grass and rocks of the vast plain. It was big and noisy enough that the great behemoths scattered before them in a panic. The larger animals retreated, spooked. Overhead, raptors circled, sensing the chance for a delightful meal in the near future. More gorgons ran across the plains; the archers would have a field day trying to stop them all.

Again the beast shuddered. This time, Lightning saw lights approaching from the army of fire ants. They impacted one at a time, upsetting Bahamut's flight pattern until it panicked, one wing singed.

"It's Tesrai!" she snapped. "They brought an _army_!"

Caius looked grim. "So did we." He snorted and spurred Bahamut forward. The great sky-king sailed over the army and, at its rider's behest, tossed great flares of light down into the midst of it. With each impact, the army scattered more and more until they turned frenzied and split like baby spiders on a web, spreading. She got the feeling this was almost beyond their control.

Somehow keeping her footing despite the sudden changes in altitude the beast performed to keep itself in the air, she laid a hand on her sword.

Then something came sailing out of the army, great big and dark against the sky, trailing fire and smoke, and flew straight at them. It was then that Bahamut struggled to avoid the sudden onslaught, but the other creature already had the upper hand and raked its claws across the beast's back as it sailed above them. Lightning ducked and held on to a chink in the armor to keep herself on while Caius threw himself to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"They have l'Cie, and _Eidolons_ of their own," he snarled. "This will _not_ be easy!"

Lightning laughed bitterly. "Oh, you _think_?"

The beast grunted and flipped over in a pursuit course. Lightning was suddenly reminded of her first battle against Bahamut when it belonged to Fang, remembering the sheer amount of power the creature had thrown out, before remembering facing off against the beast in Valhalla. Bahamut was not to be toyed with, too agile and too fast and too powerful to take lightly.

But the Eidolon they pursued was _faster_ with the advantage of being smaller, able to twist in midair and fire off an array of energy beams without losing its forward momentum.

"Claire!" her companion shouted. "When we get close to the ground, jump off! We can't stay here!"

Lightning frowned at him, then at the ground. "Caius–"

"_Just do it_!"

After a second's hesitation, she nodded stiffly.

Bahamut tucked and rolled to avoid more energy beams but promptly rolled into beads of light that popped around it on impact. Screeching, it swooped at the ground. Caius sprang off, hitting the ground hard enough to have to roll; Lightning landed right behind him, shocking her knee. They looked up to see the Eidolons free to grapple in midair, still chasing each other, but now the smaller one could take shots at them when it circled around.

Caius pushed her back suddenly, saying "_Get back_!" and got them both of the way just before an explosion knocked them to the ground, dazed, but unharmed.

Lightning, feeling adrenaline surge into her, scrambled to her feet. Her arms and legs were thicker with more muscle from being here, so when she snapped out her sword and gave it an experimental swing, it flew with more speed and power than before. Feeling better, she stood in time to face a sword-wielding warrior who came at her with hacks and slashes that were woefully inefficient. Lightning instantly fell into her rhythm, parrying and blocking before reversing her tactic and stabbing out, sending her attacker flying back. Two more took his place; she faced these too, fighting for her life now. Behind her, Caius used his spear as a sweeper, forcing his assailants back before blasting them into the air.

Lightning got the feeling Caius was learning a lot faster than she and the others had. It made sense if he'd been raised knowing he could become a l'Cie someday. As a Guardian's apprentice, no doubt he had been preparing for this day all his life.

Soon, she dispatched one of her attackers and leapt back, giving herself space, back colliding with Caius's. A quick glance told her he was now in the middle of facing an entire second wave.

Cries of fervor rose out of the army; Lightning risked an aside glance to see Paddra's own army, smaller but just as determined, come pouring out onto the step. Bahamut and the other Eidolon still grappled, now locked in midair with both pairs of wings beating furiously to keep them aloft. The two armies clashed; Caius dispensed with his powers for a moment in favor of brute force, forcing back another l'Cie his size with a chain of efficient and furious attacks with his spear. With the leftover momentum he attacked a second l'Cie and forced him to retreat, then turned a significant patch of grass into ice.

The two armies clashed hard for several long minutes, Lightning forced to fight l'Cie several times with nothing but her sword and natural strength while Caius proceeded to make quick work of most of the enemy forces with his power as he managed to bring it more and more under his control.

On both sides, the armies began to dwindle, as slowly but surely as water trickling through a cleft in a rock. As she faced off against several more warriors and was forced into momentary retreat, she wondered what could have been so bad that Caius had needed to merge with Bahamut to stop it. So far things were rough, but he seemed fine. Had she somehow stopped it just by being present?

Then she heard Caius cry out sharply. Bahamut plummeted to the ground, returning to a smoky substance before it struck and sweeping across the army to embed itself in Caius. Horrified, Lightning looked up to see the Eidolon triumphant, having successfully dismissed the sky-king, before diving at Paddra's army.

"Caius!" Battling her way through the thick of things, she scrambled to his side to find him surrounded by quite a few l'Cie warriors all gazing warily at him, like a pit of cobras. "What happened? Is Bahamut gone? Don't tell me he just got completely–"

"He's here." Caius tapped his fingertips on his brand, which glowed faintly. "He needs rest."

She remembered what happened whenever Odin was forcibly dismissed and figured this was something very similar to that.

They had no more time to discuss this before being forced to fight off the l'Cie around them, who attacked without any sense of mercy or honorary warfare. Lightning saw a ferocity in Caius's eyes she had only ever seen before in Valhalla as he combined energy blasts and small graviton bursts with expert footwork that constantly drove back his assailants. Beside him, Lightning relied on her agility and sheer determination to survive the attacks from the l'Cie around her, managing to keep up for a bit until one of them tore her right off her feet with pearly light, flinging her through the air. She landed shoulder-first, having enough sense to roll with it, but couldn't stand as her leg shivered and head throbbed from the impact.

Caius let out a fierce, terrifying war cry that startled the army around her so badly that they stumbled. A second later there was a flash of violet light tinged with crimson; the concussive force made a few topple back and the l'Cie stumble awkwardly. Then he was in the midst of it, standing between her and them, immediately pushing them back.

Head clearing, Lightning staggered to her feet, yelped, then gritted her teeth.

"Are you alright?" Caius demanded.

She gave him a quick, reassuring grin. "Fine. Had worse. Don't worry."

He gave her a cursory once-over and wasn't satisfied until she gave him a quick, light slap on the cheek, forcing him to focus. They glared at each other, his one of annoyance, hers smug. Finally, after a heartbeat or two, they split and continued their fight.

Lightning realized the army was backing up, clearing the Steppe, while the army of Paddra continued to push as if to make absolutely sure. Arrows flew through the air from both armies. Soon, the glow of Caius's brand faded and the enemy Eidolon swooped over the army to drop a few more energy blasts. This time, when it passed overhead, Caius whirled on it and sent a graviton burst into its right wing.

The Eidolon squealed before falling hard.

"Ha!" Lightning grinned as the beast hit the dirt headfirst and scrabbled to get up. "Nicely _done_!"

"All in the wrist," was his satisfied response.

The army continued to back up; from where she stood, although a rise hid their destination from view, it looked like they were pulling back. "They're retreating!" she cried. It was over so soon, and that realization made her happier than she had been in a long time. There was no risk now of breaking the timeline. Caius would not even be tempted to merge with Bahamut.

The Guardian in question was at the top of the rise. "I wouldn't be so sure," he said, and pointed.

Lightning climbed up the rise. Following the line of his arm, she saw what Tesrai had been doing: not retreating, but _making room_. "Oh," she muttered, "this is going to be _bad_."

Silhouetted against the sky were three heavily armored, silver-skinned long guis with polished tusks. Sitting atop them and hanging off the sides were even more warriors, many of them l'Cie from what she could tell. The massive beasts moved with a purpose, quicker than the usual lazy pace they used on the Steppe at all other times, heads low, eyes shielded from the sun – and, she noted grimly, attack. They moved in a straight line, ignoring everything in their path, coming up from the far side of the Steppe.

Caius took a deep breath. "We need to focus on them, get their armor off and try to get to the soft areas – eyes, undersides, thinner skin where the major arteries are. We _have_ to bring them down." He looked at her. "Go for the legs wherever there's a chink in the armor. Try to bring them down where they're more vulnerable."

"Caius," she murmured, "this is tricky even for l'Cie."

"I know," he said quickly, "but we have to try." He looked at them, exhaled, and started off, but before he could get too far, she grabbed his arm and wrenched him to face her.

"Resist the temptation," she hissed.

Caius lifted his free hand to his brand. "I told you I would." His voice was softer now. "For you."

She breathed deep. "Just… making sure."

He slipped his arm out to seize her hand instead. "Be careful," he said, then turned and charged down the slope, angling to the left toward the cliffs. Lightning rubbed her hands together, feeling her blood go cold. If something happened… if he was _forced_…

But she couldn't think about that. Right now, what mattered was _them_.

Following his tactic, she circled the other way, avoiding the flurry of attacks raining down from the beasts as both l'Cie and archers took shots at her. Only by zigzagging and scurrying like a hunted rabbit could she manage to get any closer until a chocobo went charging by and its rider snagged her. She gratefully swung up with the momentum to land behind a female warrior with deeply tanned skin and small braids in her hair.

"Thanks," Lightning said.

The warrior glanced over her shoulder at Lightning."I'll get close, then we climb," she said. "First things first, we get the riders down, they're trampled. Those things don't care _what's_ in front of them!" She chuckled dryly, urging her mount. "They're just tanks. Careful, now!"

"You don't need to tell me twice," Lightning assured her.

Then they were leaping off, catching the armor encircling the enormous legs. Lightning climbed as fast as she could to avoid the arrows and energy blasts while the other woman scaled in a more zigzag pattern. When she reached the first group of riders, Lightning ignored the basic attack to just slice the cords securing them to the armor out from under them and promptly dumped them all on the ground. She took a half-second to smile about this before climbing higher and doing the same. Nearly halfway up, one of the archers abandoned his weapon to make a wild grab at her instead, almost making her drop her sword. Shoving it away, she climbed onto the cords, struggled with the man for a minute, then hooked a leg around a chink in the armor and used the other to kick out. The man flailed, then fell and Lightning severed the cords.

With most of this side gone, Lightning climbed around to the left, heading for the forelegs. Along the way, there was a chink in the armor that exposed a bit of flesh. She drove her sword into it. Blood spurted out; she dodged the initial spray before cutting into the leg again.

The beast lifted the closest leg and stomped; Lightning nearly lost her footing.

Above her, there was a sudden burst of panic before a hail of arrows came flying from overhead. She pressed herself against the beast's side to avoid the majority of them, although a couple of them scraped her. Again the beast stomped, shaking her loose as the flesh and armor trembled. Knowing she couldn't make much of a dent, she let the momentum carry her forward onto that leg, aware it was a dangerous position to be in, then quickly searching for the cables securing the armor. They appeared to be made of metal wires, but a couple of them were rope, which she quickly cut. The armor twitched and slid down; again the beast stomped, and this time Lightning slid down a foot or two before catching herself. The ground was a long ways away; she cut more of the cords and finally managed to slice open some more of the soft flesh.

The long gui roared, a deafening sound that made her ears ring. Lifting that foreleg, it shook it hard, and she lost her grip and slid further down, dangling precariously. Frustrated but determined, Lightning made one last jab and finally sliced into what appeared to be an artery. The beast roared again, that leg buckling a little; she slid down the armor and landed on the ground.

Then she rolled out of the way as that leg buckled entirely, bringing it down onto one knee. A second later, it picked itself back up, but now it carried the leg tenderly, barely touching the ground, hobbling on three legs. Above her, a scene of panic seemed to be taking place before a burst of red-tinted purple light sent more of the riders flying right off. Lightning smirked – she knew who that was.

With no more riders, Caius turned his attention to the beast, scrambling down its side and jumping to land on the ground instead. Lightning watched the long gui continue to hobble on three legs, determined as ever. With each step it made the earth tremble, and if someone wasn't paying attention, the great beast purposefully came after them and stomped all over them. Indeed, all three were clearing a path, and Lightning noticed that Paddra's side was slowly dwindling, while Tesrai remained strong.

"I need his help," Caius murmured, and once more called on Bahamut's aide. When the Eidolon swooped at him, he jumped straight up at the last second to land on its back. Lightning watched as the two soared up into the sky before sending a hail of energy down at the beast. Lightning bolted away from the epicenter of the coming blast just in time to avoid the Eidolon's massive energy blast that enveloped the long gui in silvery light.

The beast toppled forward and lay still.

Lightning heard some of the Paddra warriors cheer. The ground shivered on impact; Lightning immediately headed for the next beast, which was already nearly halfway across the Steppe. While she wasn't sure how they were going to get the beasts through the narrow pathways to Paddra, she figured that really didn't matter if they could move troops safely into the bottleneck of the pass. Either way, the creatures couldn't be allowed to make their way to the other end of the Steppe.

The second beast was harder to take down, but this time there were more warriors able to devote their time to taking apart the creature's armor. Lightning climbed the side to cut away the riders, where they were dispatched by the troops on the ground far below. Briefly blinded by the midday sun, Lightning missed her footing nearly to the top and was kicked in the jaw by one of the remaining archers. He and two others, a man and a woman, came down for her. She fought back with her fists instead of her sword, finally forcing one of them to lose his footing and fall before taking on the woman and doing the same. The last one, a bulk of a man secure in the cables, managed to seize an arm, twisting it.

Lightning hissed and flailed, thighs clamped on the armor to keep from falling, but had some trouble loosening his grip. Then a blast of energy dislodged him and he screamed as he fell.

Lightning looked over her shoulder to see Caius and Bahamut swoop past. The Guardian gave her a satisfied smirk that she gratefully returned.

Working quickly, she cut the last of the cables and dropped the troop carrier on that side. Climbing up onto the apex of the shell, she quickly untied the knots and bashed the locks until they fell open, depositing their remaining riders on the grass. From there, what ones weren't out of commission stood up to fight the remaining Paddra warriors as she struggled to figure out how to incapacitate the creature. The most obvious way was to climb out onto its head and take out its eyes, but when she crawled down to the neck, it tossed its head and she nearly fell. It was just too dangerous; Lightning retreated to the shell and helped out with the legs instead.

Finally, when the gui began to limp, she heard Bahamut roar overhead and found the quickest route back to the ground. A shadow swooped over, that of the enemy Eidolon whose owner was apparently still alive, just before the gui was enveloped in another burst of silvery light. Instead of dying on impact, though, it merely fell forward and lay there struggling to get up. Lightning felt pity for the great beast and helped the rest of the warriors kill it swiftly and soundly.

Only one of the beasts was left, but by now it was nearly three-quarters of the way across the Steppe and closing on the exit. The warriors hurried toward it, running and leaping across the rough landscape. When they finally reached the gui, she saw the enemy Eidolon swoop past again and head for Caius. The Guardian and the Eidolon managed to fight it off, but only enough to make it fly off to regain its bearings. In the interim, the warriors went for the forelegs again, Lightning struggling to find a way up alongside several others. Archers and mages alike attacked from above – the climb afforded little protection from the blazing sun, much less the attacks. Together, those climbing severed the cords, dropping the riders. This time, many of them scrambled up to the shell in an attempt to escape, but they were also swiftly dispatched.

It was then she heard a pained cry that startled her so she slipped on the shell. Catching herself, Lightning twisted to see Bahamut falling out of the sky, the enemy Eidolon having engulfed them in an energy blast that knocked out the sky-king. Both Eidolon and rider fell fast; Lightning felt more than heard herself crying out in desperation and horror, Caius's name stretching out across the plain toward him. Bahamut dissolved and Caius landed without him – right in the path of the gui.

Stunned, Lightning hung there a moment. _This can't be happening, it can't_!

And as he stirred, she understood.

This was it. If she hadn't interfered – if she hadn't made him essentially _promise_ not to merge with Bahamut and take out this last beast, this was where it would have happened, for the army of Paddra was badly dwindled and too many of the Tesrai soldiers were alive. In a while, especially with the long gui, they could be overwhelmed, and her adopted home would be destroyed in the ensuing bloodbath. Tesrai's warriors still scrambled over the Steppe and Paddra, the archers included, didn't look so good anymore.

This creature couldn't go down without the help of an Eidolon, and Caius couldn't wait for Bahamut to rest before he called it again.

Far below, the two armies continued to clash, with both Paddra warriors and Tesrai soldiers scattered all over the plain. Tesrai was still confident with many l'Cie on their side, and as long as the silver beast lived, they wouldn't have much of a chance. But what could she do? She was no l'Cie and she didn't have Etro's power. It was too much for one person to handle.

But as she stared down at his prone form lying on the grass, too dazed to get up, thinking of all the abuse his body had taken over the weeks, thinking of the pain of having one's Eidolon suddenly dismissed while still controlling it, she felt something else in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't fear. It wasn't hate. It wasn't desperation. It was _grief_, the knowledge that soon Caius would be a crystal guarding his homeland and she'd be back home, unable to ever see him again, and coupled with her rage, it was a dangerous thing. No one would dare hurt him, much less _kill_ him, as long as she had a say. At that moment, she decided her life didn't matter as much as she'd thought. Too many times in recent months she had been forced to sit back and watch as someone she loved was hurt. Well, they weren't going to hurt _him_ anymore.

Grief, rage, and love came together in a white-hot fire that sent adrenaline shooting through her.

Lightning scrambled up furiously and dispensed with the usual pattern, instead tackling whoever remained atop the shell and sending them flying right off. While the others worked on getting the rest of the riders, she crawled down the shell toward the neck.

"Claire! What are you _doing_?" someone behind her screamed.

Lightning made it partially down the neck before the long gui tossed its head, nearly dislodging her. Gritting her teeth and clinging to the scaly hide, she closed her eyes and sent up a swift, silent prayer: _if anyone at all can hear me and help me, please, give me strength_.

And then she bolted right down toward the head.

It was _insane_ what she was doing. Trying to climb while being tossed around by a massive beast that sometimes let out a loud, nasty roar was suicide. She didn't care. The only thing in her head was the image of Caius lying helpless on the grass after falling such a long ways. It was a miracle he hadn't died on impact, a miracle she didn't intend to wreck, no matter the risk to herself.

When she reached the head, she grabbed the armor and held on as the beast shook itself, tossing her to and fro so hard her teeth cracked together until she gritted them. When it grew tired of this, she hacked at one of the eyepieces in an attempt to snap the cord. The beast jerked its head; she cried out, barely managing to catch one of the cords before sliding off. Her sword nearly slipped from her fingers, but she held on to it, trying to climb back up. The head jerked some more; Lightning dangled helplessly.

"Fine," she snarled, "_say goodbye_!"

Lifting her sword, she rammed it right into the creature's eye, sending out a spectacular and sickening amount of gore in return. The beast roared and squealed, neck twitching furiously. Lightning climbed back up, kicked off the armored eyepiece on the other side, then sliced that eye as well. The long gui roared in pain, blinded, and had to stop moving altogether. It staggered from side to side; when it flung its head down, she used the momentum to throw herself back onto the torso, narrowly catching the chinked armor before falling. Swiftly, she climbed back down to the ground and helped take out its forelegs. The great beast staggered, legs buckling, and landed hard on its chest, unable to stand.

A minute later, the creature was dead, and the Tesrai forces hesitated.

Lightning ran over to Caius as he forced himself to stand, bruised in several places, helping him steady a bit. Then, as he faced the remaining Tesrai soldiers, they slowly backed away from him. Even though he was in so much pain that she could practically _taste_ it, he still staggered forward, raised a hand, and sent out the biggest graviton blast he'd yet used, blowing the soldiers away. Those who were able to turned tail and ran; Caius staggered and promptly collapsed against her.

Lightning panted, momentarily startled by his weight. "I've got you," she murmured.

He straightened. "You always do."

"They're retreating, for real this time!" someone shouted. A strained cheer rose from the remaining Paddra warriors around them as the Tesrai soldiers continued to run. Bodies littered the battlefield and there was blood staining the grass, but it was finally over, as quickly as it had began.

As if to make sure, Caius walked stiffly after the retreating soldiers until he made it to the top of a rise behind one of the pools littering the plain. There, he stood in the windless heat, shielding his eyes. "They're gone," he said under his breath. "They're gone. It's over. It's finally over."

Lightning walked up beside him as the remaining warriors moved to help out the wounded. "You did it."

He hesitated, then looked at her. "Not without you."

She smiled at him. "Focus complete?"

His lips formed a soft half-smile tinged with sadness. "Focus complete."

As he finished, she saw something sparkling out of the corner of her eye and looked at it. It was a crystalline fleck colored a soft blue. Soon it was joined by another, then another, all of them dancing and glittering around the two of them like silver-blue fireflies. Lightning caught her breath and backed up a step; Caius looked down at himself to see a faint bluish glow slowly engulfing his body.

He looked at her again. "Thank you, Claire."

She swallowed and spoke around the lump in her throat. "Sleep well. You… you earned it."

He nodded, then looked away, over the plain toward Tesrai. The blue glow brightened, becoming almost blinding; she winced, shielding her eyes, and saw the flecks of crystal converge on his brand, which glowed crimson before turning white and fading. An expression of calm settled over him as the crystal replaced his skin with indestructible blue that sparkled in the sun. As Lightning felt her throat constrict and tears prick at her eyes, there was a few more moments of the blue glow, a final spark of light–

And where Caius had been standing, there was now a perfect replica of him carved from crystal, eyes open to gaze across the plain, sound asleep.

* * *

_The chapter title comes from a song on the FINAL FANTASY XIII soundtrack. I found it fitting for the oretoises. There's one last chapter after this, and then this story is finally finished. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to drop a review!_


	23. Fabula Nova Crystallis

_And here we are at the end of it all. Thanks to all my watchers and reviewers for sticking with this odd story right to the end and giving me lots of wonderful feedback and randomness. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the final chapter!_

* * *

_**Fabula Nova Crystallis**_

Serah blinked and looked around in shock at vast plains covered in waving green grass, the sky gold and pink as the sun began to set, the city of Academia smaller and shorter than it had been but a second ago. In the sky, the form of the Eidolon swooped down, and when it hit the ground, the very human form of Caius Ballad greeted her instead, on his face an unreadable expression. Silhouetted against the sky was Cocoon, though she dare not look long, smaller, with many of the crystals missing but the pillar very much intact. Standing and staring up at it with an expression of awe was Noel, about thirty feet away.

Puzzled, she looked between the boy and the man, wanting to grab her bowsword but not feeling the need. Caius didn't appear threatening.

She swallowed. "Caius? The… one from the… Coliseum?" Pause. "And the Void Beyond?"

He nodded once.

Serah glanced at Cocoon, again feeling the pull to stop ignoring it and just let it seep into her. The thing seemed as steady as the day it'd crystallized, glittering peacefully in the sunlight. In fact, it looked steadier as the shell of the planetoid was mostly missing and the crystal was eroded but not as horribly as it would have been. Not wanting to believe it was possible – and still trying to understand _how_ it was possible – she looked warily at Caius, lowering her hand to her side from where it'd snaked toward her weapon.

"It's not going to fall?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, it will, but the metashield shall protect the world."

The grin that spread across her face was one she didn't bother to hide. Overjoyed, she ran over to Noel, who blinked at her and shared her joy with his own smile.

"We did it!" she said, giving him his first and only quick, grateful hug. "We _did_ it!"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I can go home, and nobody'll starve. No more behemoth meat that smells like things that aren't edible, no dead trees or cold wind… It'll be life, and it'll be great!" He grasped her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "I can't _wait_ to see my parents _alive_!"

"Yeah, and Lightning will be fine, and Yeul, and Caius, and every–" She stopped as Noel's expression morphed into one of still-happy but unmistakable confusion.

"Sorry, but…" He blinked and cocked his head. "…who?"

A sinking feeling entered the pit of her stomach, making her cold all over. Trying not to let her own expression turn into one that revealed that feeling, she glanced back at Caius, still standing where she'd left him. The two met each other's eyes, and in their violet depths she saw a great truth sitting just beneath the surface. Gently, she took Noel's hands from her shoulders.

"Um…" She sighed. "I'll be right back. Wait here."

She turned and walked back to the Guardian, who turned his back to Noel, forcing her to move in front of him. They stared at each other a minute, and Caius spoke first. "Noel does not remember me because in his timeline, I only died once. The same goes for Yeul. Lightning, meanwhile, never embarked on her journey into Valhalla that you vaguely carry in your memories."

Serah blinked. _That_ was where the confusion had come from. "So… we did it. We saved the future and solved the final paradox." Blink. "But _how_?"

"It was not you, nor Noel, at all. It was Lightning."

"_Lightning_…?"

Caius looked away for a moment, up at the glistening Cocoon. She heard him take a deep breath. "In Valhalla, she made a risky choice that took her back in time to long before the War of Transgression, when I received the Heart of Chaos, and prevented me from ever receiving it. Thus, none of this ever happened. Your entire journey is nothing but a fading memory, soon to become a completely forgotten future. With the erasure of the _true _final paradox, this timeline will collapse into the Void and be as if it never were."

Serah folded her arms. "I remember it."

"Not for long." He nodded at Cocoon. "You must destroy the final paradox to restore the true timeline."

"What's the 'final paradox', then?"

There was a pause. Caius tapped his chest with two fingers. "I am."

Serah was more puzzled than ever. "Wait, _what_?" she demanded. "You set out on this journey, wanting to end it all and save Yeul, desperate to stop us, going so far as your past self – who's gone, I guess – trying to _kill_ us, and now you're just going to throw it all away?"

"Serah," he sighed, "please try and understand. There is no _reason_ now. Yeul lived a normal life and died as she was supposed to. So now must I."

"So, what, I go forget this history, and…" Trailing off, she stared at him. "But–"

"Lightning was outside this timeline as she fixed it as an acquaintance of mine," he told her. "Snow was also outside the timeline. The two of them will be the only ones who still remember it, but their memories cannot rebuild what is now lost. They are just memories, and there is a possibility they too will fade. You will not remember. No one will remember but the two of them."

Serah kicked a tuft of grass and frowned. "But– the–" She looked at the ground. "Everyone. All the people we met and everything we did – Alyssa, and the Academy, and everyone…" Her gaze abruptly returned to his. "I… I won't even remember Noel, will I? And he won't remember _me_."

His gaze was solemn. "No."

There were a few moments of complete silence. There wasn't even a breeze, and the setting sun was warm. The air smelled good. Caius's presence was not the least bit unnerving; instead, she sensed, and saw, something very much like his attitude in the Coliseum: a heartbreaking sadness and sense of grief coupled with an acceptance of his fate and a complete absence of bitterness. She wished she knew what was going on inside him. How did he really feel about all this? How long had he known this was going to happen?

Then she thought of something. _The Coliseum_…

"You knew my sister," she murmured. "And Snow said 'she' won't forget you. Your 500 AF self said you 'searched for her' but you could never find her, and he knew Lightning's true first name. She was an 'acquaintance', huh?" She turned away as she spoke to look at the horizon, deep in thought. "She had to fix the timeline, so the two of you must have known each other, even just a little."

Caius exhaled. "Please…"

Serah felt realization like a shock to her heart. "It was _her_, wasn't it? The woman," she said, turning to look at him again. "The one you couldn't find. _Lightning_ was that woman."

"Serah, the final paradox must be solved."

She put all the pieces together to discover they formed a picture for which there was no other solution. "You loved her," she breathed, almost shocked, then truly amazed when a stricken look crossed his features. "You did, and you miss her, and– no," she realized suddenly. "No, that's not– that's not all."

"Serah," he said, almost pleading now.

"You _still_ love her, even now, so you're going to fade away, like you never existed, like–" Caius had been willing to die or commit genocide for Yeul, his eternal charge. Now he was willing to just… fade. "That's– I just– that's it? You're willing to disappear forever just for this world, and Lightning? That's so–"

"Serah," he said, moving closer to her, "I would rather live for an eternity, know her for a day, and endure the deaths of countless Yeuls, than live one normal life, and never know her at all."

Serah heard his voice crack faintly at the end of his sentence. Her throat constricted in response. How many times had she heard similar sentiments from Snow during her tenure as a crystal statue, or even before, when she was still just a l'Cie? And here was Caius, their greatest enemy, trying to be human.

No, she realized, Caius _was_ human. That was his curse.

"I wish–" She swallowed. _Noel. Yeul. Alyssa. All the people, all the events, the lands, the worlds_… _would even the Farseer settlement fade out of existence_? She couldn't stop thinking about everything she would forget if she looked at Cocoon, everything that would be lost if she let this time slip away. And yet, what would be gained? How many lives would be saved? Lightning back home, never having to leave; Noel safe in the future in a land of life and love; Snow home and her husband at last; Cocoon never collapsing; chaos sealed in Valhalla. "I wish I could remember what you said," she admitted. "It's really– it's so… sweet."

Caius smiled at her, but it was a very sad and very slight smile. "It's alright."

She hesitated. "And you're alright with this?"

"Lightning will be able to have a normal life with you and the others. That is enough for me."

"While you never see her again."

The smile faded a little; the grief in his eyes deepened. "That's right."

Serah bowed her head. So much would be forgotten. Then again, so much could be gained and the nightmares would finally be over as if they had never begun – as if they were awakening from a deep sleep and the dreams would once again be pleasant ones. To live life as it should be lived, to see Lightning safe, to be with Snow, to know Noel would be happy, healthy, and home, to know Yeul would only live once…

It was more than enough.

"I know she won't forget you," she said. "If Snow's right, you'll be in her memories."

The sadness lifted a little from his lips. "I know."

Serah nodded. Soon, he would be gone, and only Snow and Lightning would remember him and all the others. What had Lightning seen in Gran Pulse's ancient past? What wonders, and what dangers? Would she be the woman from the Day of Ragnarok, still aloof and yet much more open than before? Would she be the woman of her confused memories, so much more human? Either way, she knew the two would never tell _her_ what had happened, if only to protect the future. They would all live in blissful ignorance, except that Lightning would carry a thousand memories and Snow would have seen it all unfold.

The journey was over.

She turned away from him, walking to stand beside Noel. Before looking up at Cocoon, she looked at Caius one last time to see him standing with his arms at his sides and an expression of absolute peace on his exhausted features.

"Goodnight," she murmured.

With only the grief of memories, lives, and dreams forever lost, she took a deep breath and gazed at the monument.

* * *

Lightning stared in silent shock at the shining blue edifice of Caius. The sunlight struck his form and scattered like a prism, tiny rainbows sparkling on the grass. The only sound besides that of the remaining warriors trying to clean up the mess was the breeze past her ear, blowing her hair across her eyes. Absently, she reached up to tuck it back behind her ear; still it fell free.

It was over. Her purpose was done. So long ago she had accepted this assignment in the hopes of saving the whole world from a corrupt timeline…

And she had.

Of its own accord, her hand reached out to brush the crystal, tracing the line of his arm. His hair had been flash-frozen in a chaotic pattern behind him like a snapshot of a wave breaking on a jetty, one hand clenched in a fist at his chest where his brand had been, the other extended slightly out and forward, as if he had been in the middle of reaching for something. The expression on his face was tired, peaceful, eyes open, lips closed. Numerous crystal formations shot off from just beneath his feet, both supporting the weight of the structure and guarding his modesty. All of them sparkled in the sunlight, their multifaceted shapes reminding her of the spectacular landscape of Lake Bresha or the flash-frozen flames in its ruins.

But the crystal, unlike his skin, was cooling against her fingertips.

She jerked her hand back before taking a half-stumbling step away from him. It was over, and this meant the future was safe with no more chaos, no more nightmares, no more death… so why was she crying? Why were there tears in her eyes threatening to stream down her cheeks, so badly blurring her vision that she almost couldn't tell which way was up? Why was her heart pounding, throat so tight she almost couldn't breathe, hands shaking so hard she had to clasp them together against her belly?

_Caius_… She had intended the word to be spoken only in her mind, but it fell to her tongue, formed by her lips as a whisper that cut like a razor, deep into her heart. How long had she fought him in Valhalla? How many times had they engaged in deadly conflict? How many times had she wished she could strike a blow to stop him? What gave her the _audacity_ to cry?

"Caius," she whispered again. "Caius… Caius… Caius…" As she spoke, she struggled against the movement of her hands as they tried to reach out for him. He couldn't hear her. And if all went well, he never would again. _She_ could never hear his voice again, or see him again, and he would never touch her or hold her, ever again.

Lightning buried her face in one hand.

It was over. After all this time spent in the distant past of Gran Pulse, it was finally over.

Forcing herself to stop, she looked around, searching for some sign of a portal. It would be her only way out of here. After beginning to think she was forgotten, she saw something shoot across the sky and land on the Steppe, near the entrance to the city of Haerii high in the cliffs. _Time to go home_, something said within her, a foreign but friendly voice, and filled her with strength.

Before she moved on, she pressed the backs of her fingers to her lips, then reached up and stroked his cheek. The sun-warmed crystal _almost_ fooled her.

"Goodbye, my love," she whispered.

Then she turned, unable to look back, and marched toward the distant, grounded star.

"Hey! Claire!"

Lightning gritted her teeth. She knew that voice. "Anhui," she murmured, forcing herself not to look back.

"Where're you going?" she asked, running up to her.

She stopped and looked down at her. "You survived," she said with a slight smile. "Good for you."

"I might become a real full-fledged archer since I did so well. I actually managed to help out, better than I expected to." Pause. "Where are–"

"I'm going home. My time here is done. There's thing I need to take care of at home, like my family and my land, so, please, don't hold me up and don't ask me to explain." She said the words in a rush, looking at her with appeal.

Anhui became wide-eyed. "But–" She broke off.

Lightning chewed her lip to keep from crying. "I won't be coming back."

"Ever?"

Pause. Technically, she _would_ come back, but only by treading on ancient ruins left behind on a world now devoid of human life after the War of Transgression. None of these people would ever see her again.

"That's right," she murmured, patting her shoulder.

Anhui gripped her bow – which Lightning just now noticed was hanging at her side – as tight as she could, lower lip quaking hard. "I'll miss you," she murmured, voice trembling faintly. "_We'll_ miss you, Malo and me. You're just– you were so cool and weird and… and so _helpless_…"

In spite of the circumstances, Lightning laughed, and the girl laughed with her. While it relieved a little tension, it also brought their tears to the surface. Anhui's spilled over in the form of one caught at the corner of her eye and another rolling down her cheek; Lightning swallowed and fell to one knee.

"If Caius wakes up in your lifetime, tell him–" Her throat constricted, and she had to pause to regain control of her voice. "Tell him… not to look for me, because I'm very far away where he can never follow. It doesn't matter if he wakes up tomorrow or in a hundred years. It will never matter."

Anhui nodded. "In love with a doomed l'Cie."

_Their crystals still stand outside Tesrai's largest settlement_…

Lightning risked another emotional outburst by pulling Anhui into a hug, one the girl immediately returned. They shared this silent embrace for a good deal longer than she'd planned it to be. Then they separated; Lightning touched her chin in a sort of "chin up" gesture, then ruffled her hair and stood. Head up, eyes forward, she walked on toward the light in the distance.

She dare not look back over her shoulder at the land and people she was leaving behind forever.

The beautiful landscape she would always be awestruck at.

The people who treated her like one of their own.

The sisters who had done everything they could to make her feel welcome there.

The crystal statue of the man she loved.

Somehow, even with her blurred vision, Lightning made it across the Steppe to the light, and sure enough, it was a small golden pillar like the portal she had used to get here. She stood in front of it, reminded of how she had first set out on this journey, reminded of her determination to finish the job and get home, reminded of her need to do what it took to save the world, the future, and the people she loved. She had done all that. What sort of world would she go back to? At what time period would be arrive? Would any of the corrupted timeline remain?

_You will love these people, this culture, this land, but you cannot stay_.

Lightning lifted a hand.

_You will find the greatest joy, and feel the deepest sorrow_.

She took a deep breath, held it, exhaled, and touched the golden light.

The landscape around her transformed in the blink of an eye into a vast plain covered in grass and fertile earth with a clear sky overhead. Lightning blinked in surprise to find herself in midstride and halted. Feeling someone beside her, she looked to see Hope – the young, round-faced, teenage one – walking on. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up and saw what was quite possibly the most beautiful, wonderful sight she had ever seen:

Cocoon, freshly crystallized, intact on its pillar.

Ahead of her, Serah and Snow walked close together and hand-in-hand, though Serah was more fascinated by the crystal monument and Snow kept sneaking glances over his shoulder while simultaneously talking to his soon-to-be wife. Sazh walked closer to the monument with Dajh clinging to his shoulders and the baby chocobo riding at the peak, happily chirping away. The sun glittered on crystal, raptors wheeled through the air, PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldiers alike bustled about on the ground as they took care of the civilians.

She was right back where it had all began.

Making sure, she pivoted to look over her shoulder at the plains behind her. The ground was intact, with no darkness seeping from it, no sudden clouds in the sky, no golden light sweeping reality beyond her grip as she struggled to seize it. While she had expected to arrive in New Bodhum with most of the journey intact, she had instead arrived at the exact instant when she'd been dragged away.

"Hey, Serah, why don't you hang with the others a while?" she heard Snow say, and looked back at him. "I need to go talk to your sis."

Her sister, lacking the lean muscle of her time-traveling save-the-world days, nodded, and Snow walked toward her with purposeful strides. Lightning looked warily at him, wondering what he had to say. Hadn't she already given her blessing? Hadn't she already more or less forgiven him? How silly all of that seemed now with how much had been at stake – the whole world, everyone's lives, so much all at once. Instead of moving away, she folded her arms and waited for him.

"Hey," she greeted, nodding, struggling to dredge up her old persona. "What's up?"

Snow looked at her carefully. "It's finally over."

She blinked. "Yeah, it… is."

"I know it was rough."

"It was rough on all of us."

"Yeah, but _they_ don't remember, and _they_ didn't love and lose."

Lightning immediately dropped the façade. "You… you _remember_ all of it? And you– you _knew_?"

"Do you know what the Coliseum is?" Snow asked, keeping his voice low. When she nodded, he continued, "I was there most of the time everything unfolded. From there, I saw everything. _Everything_, sis. I know all about what you went through."

She took a shaky breath. "It saved the future."

Snow reached out and took her shoulder in a very reassuring gesture. It reminded her of when Caius had touched her in comfort, so much so that she choked up again. Was it ever going to end? Was she going to be able to move on in the knowledge that she would never see him again?

"Will you be alright?" he murmured.

Lightning looked him in the eye, sighed, and looked away again. "I just need some time. Probably lots of it, but… I can live knowing he's gone and it was all for a good cause. We saved the future. Everyone can go on knowing they can wake up tomorrow and everything'll be fine."

"Miss him already, huh?"

She smiled and looked back up. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. Tapping her breast with her fist, she took another deep breath. "But he's safe, right here, where he'll be preserved forever. That's where he's safe. That's where he'll be…" And then she cracked, tears welling up again, and tried to choke them down.

Snow encircled her shoulders with one arm, and for once, she didn't fight him. "Think of it this way," he said with a grin. "Now we know that Cocoon will collapse in the future, so we can protect it, starting now. Fang and Vanille will always be safe, and they might even wake up someday."

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Though her feet carried her forward, into the new future, toward the other l'Cie and the world as it should be, for a moment her heart reached back into the past. In her mind, her heart, her soul, she briefly touched a man who was now long dead if all had gone well, brought back the memory of his touch, the feel of his skin, the way his warmth always bled into her, the sound of his voice, his maddening smirk and wonderful smile and beautiful amethyst eyes that still gazed deeply, eternally, into hers.

That man was a memory now, and that was all he would ever be.

"You won't forget anything, ever," Snow said.

She sighed and nodded. As they got closer to the others, Snow gave her shoulders a squeeze before letting go. "But the divisions of time are too great. I have… I don't have a choice, hero," she muttered. "You know what that means, right? And all of that was, what, hundreds of years in the past?"

"Almost seven hundred, yeah."

_Seven hundred years_. Seven centuries of time permanently separating her from that land and those people, and in a way permanently separating them all from the corrupt timeline.

They came up to the rest of the group; Serah looked at Snow and smiled before taking his hand again. "We'll need to find someplace to live," Serah muttered.

"Aw, we will!" Snow assured her. "And maybe we can name it after our home, Bodhum, you know? Maybe we can even find someplace by the sea or a great big lake…"

Serah grinned. "Yeah, maybe."

Lightning folded her arms and looked around. They were a long ways from the Steppe and a few miles outside of Oerba, so none of the features looked familiar to her, but she knew how to find her way from here as she could see the very top of the Yaschas Massif, almost hidden by the rest of the mountains between her and them and the curve of the planet, but so familiar even with their eroded peaks. As she stared, she felt someone touch her shoulder – a small, soft hand, belonging to her sister.

"Oh, sorry," Lightning said, smiling and shaking her head. "Got lost in thought, I guess."

"It's okay," she said, returning the smile.

The two sisters gazed at each other while the others headed for the troops trying to make order out of chaos near the base of the crystal pillar. Again Lightning drifted, staring at the mountains again, feeling a longing for the place she had called home for so long. It was still beautiful, even if the ruins were overgrown and there wasn't much sign of civilization left, swallowed by the wilderness.

"You alright?"

Lightning blinked and looked back at her sister. "Fine, fine. Just thinking."

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised," Serah admitted with a slight shrug. "I mean, the past few days have been pretty rough for all of you, and Snow says you were wandering around down here for a while. Did you go clear over there and poke around or something?"

_Something like that_. Lightning rubbed her arms, both trying to forget and trying to hold on to the memory of Caius's embrace, and said nothing.

Serah waited a second longer, then laughed and shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Hey, you were pretty high-ranking in the Corps, right? Maybe you can help out with this mayhem over here. The sooner everyone gets their heads on straight, the sooner we can find a home and get everyone else out of Cocoon. C'mon." She tugged on Lightning's wrist before dragging her away toward the foot of the pillar. Lightning chuckled and jogged to keep up with her sister's eager spirit.

The journey was over. The timeline had been restored. The future was intact. The nightmares were gone.

As Lightning hurried forward to join the people who would continue the true timeline and ensure the peace of the survivors of the Day of Ragnarok, she let her mind wander one more time, reaching back across the years, thinking of Caius, of all the Paddra warriors, of the people she had met, of the land she had grown to love as her own, before thinking forward about a future that had yet to unfold with its many surprises.

The new legend of the Cocoon survivors was about to begin.

And Caius Ballad, the warrior of Valhalla, the Guardian of Paddra, the man she loved, was safe. For her, that alone would be enough to get her through the coming years, even though his memory would forever be a brand on her heart, nestled safely in her soul, a secret no one else but Snow would ever know.

_**The End**_


End file.
